Tomber Amoureux
by PsYChO
Summary: G/Vi Take a refreshing recourse from the cliché-ridden literary works documenting the oft-speculated unification of Gohan and Videl. This fic does just that, but with the originality inherent in only a few select fics.
1. Prologue: Paradox

Tomber Amoureux

Paradox: A Prideful and Painful Memory

"As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven, it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape." -_John Lancaster Spalding._

The sun shone down mercilessly on the troubled teenager. It was hot, and the adolescent scowled with obvious irritation at its extremity. Perspiration spewed forth freely from his diminutive pores drenching the navy blue training _gi_ that garlanded his muscular physique. As his irritation gradually intensified, proportionally, that damnable temperature intensified. It seemed the day was bent on aggravating his already bothered psyche, and showing his obvious displeasure wasn't acquiescing much sympathy from that burning ball of gas stationed millions of miles away in space. 

Why the hell is it that I get into these things? I mean, sometimes, it's as if she doesn't WANT me to enjoy life! I think I've earned enough respect from people to make some of my own decisions now, but no, I am still a child she says, I still don't know what's best…To hell!! 

His facial expression changed in sync with the various conflicting emotions his mind seemed to ponder over. First a slight detection of confusion was definitely evident; it soon changed into exasperation culminating finally to an irate state of mind. He easily stripped off the top part of his martial arts ensemble, and then proceeded to do the same with the bottom of it. Clad only in dark boxers, the teen gave one more defiant glare at the annoying star, then hollered loudly as he ran forward and somersaulted into the sparkling lake below. 

********************************************************

Perplexed by the whooping sound he heard resonating throughout the hilly terrain, Son Goten cautiously stepped out on to the threshold of the home he shared with his mother and brother. He peered out ahead, making a conscious effort to identify the culprit. Seeing that his search was fruitless, he took an abrupt change of mood as a goofy grin once again adorned his cherubic face. 

"Goten, go find that brother of yours," sighed the mother of two. The voice betrayed a hint of fatigue, like it was dealt a long succession of bad hands in life. She was currently preoccupied with the dishes, but apparently they didn't hold the top priority for her at the moment. 

"Okay, mom," quipped the rather jovial youngster. He had a shock of wild hair, protruding skywards from every angle imaginable, seemingly mocking gravity's restraints. The small face had two gleaming eyes that vivaciously brimmed with enthusiasm, and a small frame that comically coincided with his shock of unruly hair. He quickly dashed out onto the front lawn, and out into the depths of the forest ahead. 

"Like I swear, I mention one thing to him and he gets all sullen. I mean, I have the best interests in mind. Why wouldn't I? It's not like I'm condemning him to slavery, or even…" The tone had taken a more stern edge to it, slight irritation slowly creeping in. The dark haired woman was unaware of her little one's departure so consequently didn't realize she was talking to the kitchen walls, but even if she had, in all probability, the tirade would have marched on unhindered, as it currently was doing. 

The small whirlwind zoomed on ahead, zigzagging between trees at a blistering pace. If observed through the normal human eye, the little kid would have only been a colorful blur, emblazoning a somewhat distinct trail on the ground below. He slammed on the proverbial brakes as soon as he noticed the steep embankment marking the start of the lake. He peered out ahead, already knowing where he would find his elusive brother. Ki detection can do wonders to save reconnaissance time, as a matter-of-fact, it can save an awful lot of searching time for those annoying group splits which occur in public fairs. His grin widened, if that was even possible, and he started to slowly backtrack upon the path he had so carefully emblazoned on the grassy forest ground. The unsuspecting target currently was lazily floating on his back, eyes shut and an aura of calm about him. It seemed to be sleeping, a perfect opportunity for a sneak attack. Goten deftly positioned himself, crouched on all fours, and then without any warning sprang forward. Accelerating as fast as he could he reached the aforementioned embankment within seconds, and leapt forward arms outstretched at his intended target. 

**************************************************************

_Sparkling clear water. Beautiful scenery. Utopia. Was this…? Could this…?_

**_Be real? _**__

_Perfect ambience. Birds chirping enthusiastically in obscure merriment. The unvitiated water settling into a steady hypnotizing rhythm. Pleasant odors emanating from the plethora of flowers in residence. A loud high-pitched yell gradually intensifying. A soothing…_

**_ Huh? _**

****

** "**Niiiiiiiiiichaaaaaaannnnn!" It was unmistakable. The loud ejaculation gradually became more audible, conforming to the laws of the Doppler shift as it came nearer. But before Gohan could pinpoint exactly what was happening, he felt a weight colliding with his torso. 

Whoosh.

All the wind from his lungs rushed out, leaving him clutching his stomach and gasping for air eyes unceremoniously bulging out. What added further to his breathing plight was that when he reflexively opened his mouth, gaping for air, he got a big mouthful of water. He splashed about in panic, finally surfacing, choking and sputtering out the water he had so blissfully _inhaled _a few moments before. His head snapped back and forth, eyes narrowing into slits, seeking out the murderous demon bent on asphyxiating innocent civilians. He wasn't left unrewarded, as moments later a cherubic face popped out from under the murky depths of the lake. His eyes were laden with mischief, as he looked back at his now fuming brother with a sheepish smile. 

"Uhh…mom…called…for…u…hehe…yea," he paused to rub the back of his head, an act blatantly reminiscent to that of their father, "Um, I'm going to…RUN!"

"Oh no you don't!" Both the partial saiya-jins blasted off causing the calm lake to go into a fit of activity. Their ki's had been exerted plentifully, and unfortunately for the tranquility of the lake, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, their ki had pushed the water downwards therefore initializing a rather large ripple effect; the ripples being a close rendition of a tidal wave. 

Goten quickly realized that his older sibling in the open air would catch him quite effortlessly, so he swiftly dived downwards into the ensuing forest. There, he proceeded to zigzag ferociously around the trees, hoping to leave a confusing trail in his wake. Steamed, the older saiya-jin quickly dived downwards in pursuit. But he soon found out to his dismay that the young one had a quite distinct size advantage. Being small and nimble, Goten could navigate a serpentine path through the trees with some ease, whilst Gohan had to be a bit more cautious as not to clip any tree bark. His predicament soon gave way to a solution though, as Gohan decided not to let anger obscure his intelligence. He swooped back into the open air, and keeping a close watch on the movements of his brother's ki, he just followed up above. Goten stole a daring glance backwards, still winding and swerving through trees at break-neck speeds, and didn't even catch a glimpse of his brother, nor did he observe any flash of blue that would give his brother's gi away. Had he not been so panicked by his dilemma, he would have sensed the giant ki lingering up above his head. 

He cautiously slowed down, since he got to the very edge of the forest, and peeked backwards one more time. Satisfied that he had lost his brother by the winding path he emblazoned, the haughty child fled out into the open clearing. He could see the somewhat small, curved structure getting larger with every step he took. He was about halfway into the clearing when Gohan swooped downward resembling a Falcon at dinnertime. Goten was not that dexterous at ki sensing yet, and didn't notice the ki spike, nor that the vast ki was speedily closing in the gap. At the last possible second, the little one's saiya-jin danger signals went off, and he sharply swerved his head around, horror evident in those dark beads. His terror was greatly justified, as he saw the object of his fear grab him by the waistline sending them both crashing onto the green earth.

"Haha, Gotcha!" The teen pinned his sibling down triumph evident in the smirk plastered on his face. "You can't lose me that easily, remember, I was the one who taught you how to be quick and nimble!" For a brief moment, Gohan had second-guessed his decision a little while ago to train Goten in the arts of ki manipulation. His brother, proving to be a true son of Son Goku, caught on pretty fast and soon was flying and shooting ki blasts without effort. 

The little fighter squirmed under the large hands pinning him down, " I was only trying to splash you! I swear! I kinda mistimed the jump and it went all downhill from there!" His eyes were wide, set in a remorseful gaze, which would have melted even the most determined of men.

"Oh no you don't, don't try to put on that innocent face. I used that too ya know."

The chibi intensified his gaze, tears welling up in his dark orbs. "I only wanted to surprise you. I thought you would notice."

Gohan sighed, this always happened. "Oh alright, I forgive you." Gohan got up from the ground flinging the chibi onto his shoulder blades. 

"YaY!! I knew you would understand!"

"So, what did ya wake me up for anyway? I was having the most relaxing dream ever."

"Relaxing dream? What was it about? How could a dream be relaxing? Did it have big comfy bed with soft fluffy pillows? Did you see a whole mountain of food you knew you couldn't finish? I guess that would be relaxing, then mom can't threaten us by saying she'd starve us!"

Gohan chuckled at his brother's naiveté, to think, his dad was just like this as a child. Heck, his dad is like that when he was an adult as well. He sighed, a forlorn look creeping out on his face. He missed his dad, and Goten being an exact replica of him didn't quite quell his sadness for losing his dad, but contrary to popular belief, it made him more anxious to meet his dad again. Goten served as too big a reminder of his dad, poor kid, he didn't even realize that his appearance was a whole lot more antagonizing on both him and his mother's soul than people thought. 

"You're not still mad at me are you, big brother?" Goten saw the despondent look on his brother's face.

"Wha…? No…I can't stay mad at you for long kid, you know that," he playfully ruffled the shock of black hair on the little guy's head, "I was just thinking. About dad."

"Father? What was he like big brother? Trunks said that his dad said that Father was a third-class warrior, while they were royalty. Was he really a bad fighter?"

Gohan chuckled heartily; he didn't have such good laugh in a long while. "Goten, if Trunks had seen father fight, he wouldn't be so quick to believe Vegeta's words."

"Huh? What does that mean, was he good or not?"

Gohan sweat-dropped at his brother's clueless ness. Where all the Sons that clueless? Not his mom, he was sure of that. "Goten, father was, and probably still is, one of the greatest fighters ever to exist. Actually, he probably is The all-time greatest fighter to exist in the universe. I talk to him from time to time, father has some…err…connections…anyway, he told me that he won the Annoyo-Budoukai, the Other World Martial Arts Tournament. Although technically both dad and his competitor were disqualified, both of them didn't know it at the time, and continued on to fight with father knocking his opponent out of the ring. He said that the fighters he fought were fighters that had died long ago, from the time frame when beings were first put into existence to now. Which means that father is the strongest fighter of every fighter ever to be born in the entire universe, from the beginning of the universe to now." 

"Wow, that's so cool! But wait, I don't understand one thing, mom said that you beat that mean man Cell, so that must mean you're stronger than dad. Right?"

"Well, at the time, yes, I was stronger. That doesn't mean I was a better fighter technique-wise. Dad was always the better fighter, compared to all of us. And now I know he is stronger than all of us, he told me himself that he ascended to the second level of super-saiya-jin, something I long since forgot how to do and Vegeta never knew how to do. He never was bitter, he never was shaken, he never lost hope and he always was resolute." Gohan paused a little, his hands shaking slightly, "He never was _cocky, _and he never got complacent," he almost spat out bitterly. Those memories were long since buried, fresh dirt upon old, but those repressed memories were tearing at old wounds rather harmfully. His eyes experienced a sudden surge of wetness, and feeling a bit of shame he battled back, seeking autonomy from his emotions. 

"Brother," the boy spoke softly, as if realizing the emotional weight of his brother's words at the tender age of seven, "What does complacent mean?"

Gohan face-vaulted anime style, a rather conspicuous sweat-drop adorning the side of his face. _Well, at least he broke the tension. Geez, I gotta keep from crying in front of that kid, it'd unnecessarily upset him._

"Hehe, don't worry, just rest assured that your father was one of the greatest beings to live. You know how many times he saved the planet?"

"No…But you can tell me about it! Can't you brother, please?"

"Hehe, yeah, another time though. So…What was it that mother wan…"

"GOHAN!!! GOTEN!! WHAT IN THE NAME OF HEAVEN ARE YOU TWO DOING!!! COME OVER HERE AT ONCE!!!" Shrieked the elderly woman, her pitch resonating high enough to completely deafen the partially deaf, and unfortunately, triggering quite a massive headache for both saiya-jin. 

"Oops!! Sorry brother, I forgot to tell you that mother wanted to talk to you about school!" The little ruffian leapt of Gohan's shoulder and scrambled rather clumsily into the domed abode. 

"Uh oh…" Gohan stared after the retreating figure of his brother, feeling a little bit of vehemence. The darned kid nearly drowned him a few minutes ago, and now got him into a major lecture session with his mom. Nope, this was certainly not his day. 


	2. Misfortune Rages Rampant

Misfortune Rages Rampant

"Fortune knocks but once, but misfortune has much more patience."-Dr. Laurence J. Peter

After a failed attempt to intrepidly withstand his mother's invective—an assortment of accusations of his general insubordination—Son Gohan wearily trudged down the hall into his room. He was going to school, and there wasn't even a remote possibility of it being otherwise. What was even more perplexing than his mother's abrupt decision for him to attend school, was that he was going to go to a high school located in _Satan City_, the closest municipality from his isolated dwelling. He didn't think that Satan City being the closest was going to hamper his routine anyway, distance wouldn't matter; after all flying does make morning commuter traffic obsolete. 

_Why Satan City_, he thought a little despondently, _all it would be is a big reminder of how I failed my father and how I let the living reincarnation of Bozo the Clown steal the merit for saving the world._

He chuckled dryly, remembering the aftermath of the Cell games. Mr. Satan was a real opportunist; he easily manipulated the press to his advantage, making him an extremely popular overnight commodity. Well, all that must be buried, deeply at that, in to the dark recesses of his mind. He needed to be sharp the next morning, his enrolment and then subsequent high school career were on the verge of becoming a reality, an unwanted reality at best.

_Well, it can't be that bad, I'll get to meet some interesting people, make friends, and generally get to socialize with people my own age for a change. It's one thing to be affiliated with an extremely laconic Namek, an overbearing narcissistic Prince bent on being the sole possessor of the world's ego, a female prodigy prone to impulsive mood-swings, a formerly bald monk bent on being my self-proclaimed tormentor, two hyper-active kids with an unquenchable thirst to annoy, and an overprotective mother bent on making my life HELL…_

As anyone would observe, Son Gohan really needed to obtain a slight thing the general contemporary populace would like to call a LIFE, and quickly for that matter. Soon, the modus operandi for achieving such a vital goal would come into being, and with any luck, he would finally be doing something "normal" for a change. 

********************

"Gohan, get up! You're going to be late for school, and on the FIRST DAY! You can't possibly afford to give a bad impression on your first day, it's not…"

And the lecture from hell emanating from the kitchen continued, solely inspired by an insatiable need for scholarly success. 

"Hmm…?" A large yawn subsequently followed, with Gohan kicking of his sheets and drowsily heading in the general direction of the bathroom. He got there, only to realize that he wasn't wearing anything, not anything…not a single thread of fiber clad on his body…

_How did that happen?_

He never slept completely naked; at most he would have had on his teddy bear underwear, a little small and constricting, but clothes nevertheless. He quickly dashed back into his room, his facial coloring slowly varying to that of a ripe tomato, and then surprisingly close to that of his crimson window curtains. He frantically looked about, panic evident in his eyes. His boxer shorts couldn't of just disappeared; there must be a logical solution. 

"Oh Gohan, looking for these?" The voice was sickly sweet, coated layer upon layer with insincerity. In the lavender-haired boy's hand clipped with a cloth peg was one teddy bear underwear. 

With slight trepidation, the teen pivoted doing a 180-degree turn, eyes resting upon the infernal duo of mass destruction. The collateral damage these two runts can cause is more severe then any nation can _willfully _perform through its largest contingent army. 

"You know big brother, you shouldn't really flash us like that. We aren't into that sorta thing you know." The other, equally dangerous, counter-part quipped.

"Did you just take a shower?" Trunks asked, amiably restraining the laughter threatening to burst out from him like an erupting volcano. Gohan's face was getting progressively redder; at this rate steam should have been protruding out of his ears and nostrils.

"Why would you ask that Trunks? He doesn't have any water on him." A slightly confused Goten asked, not catching the drift of his accomplice.

"Well Goten, I can't think of any other way to account for the shrinkage!" 

"Why you little…" The scarlet-faced teen attempted a rather gauche lunge at the two brats, only managing to collide head first with his door, as Trunks had calmly closed the door prior to the aforementioned murder attempt. 

"Ouch!" The dazed boy grabbed his head immediately, rubbing his rump ruefully. "When I'm done with you both, there won't be enough left to fit in a goddamned matchbox!" 

He flung his door open, and raced down the hall towards the living area. As soon as he entered he slammed on the brakes, scanning the vicinity for any sign of the two brats, who, in Gohan's eyes, were condemned without any possibility of parole to death row. 

_ Parole? On death row?_

"Gohan!" An astonished Bulma shrieked, turning around rather quickly as a tinge of red infiltrated her well-defined cheeks. 

"Oh my…SON GOHAN! Why in the name of all that is holy are you not wearing clothes!? I THOUGHT I TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THAT!"

Gohan quickly realized that, much to his dismay, he had conveniently forgot about his current state of nudity…

_Not good, not good. Must kill kids…must kill kids…must kill…_

_ **Shutup you bonehead! Go put on some goddamn clothes before further embarrassment!!**_

Gohan fled back to his room as fast as his ki could carry him, he was surprised that a sonic boom didn't ensue from his blistering pace. He quickly got a change of clothes, entered the washroom, hastily showered, and returned. This time making sure that he had something guarding his modesty. 

He came back, rage forgotten, only embarrassment showing for his wanton attempt to punish the kids. "Err…He he. Hi Bulma-san. What brings you here this early?" Gohan immediately assumed Goku-mode, with the patented sheepish smile and the back-of-the-head rub.

Not completely recovered from her shock, Bulma just nodded, then proceeded to take her cup of morning coffee outside, muttering something about keeping the devil children segregated as much as possible. The image replayed in her head once again, as another onslaught of red attacked her cheeks. __

_Damn, that is one toned body…not to mention…Stop!_

"Gohan, can you please explain to me why you made Bulma go into a state of subconscious shock, by flashing her—and everyone here—YOUR PRIVATE PARTS!?"

"MOM!" The voice betrayed a tinge of exasperation, "Why don't you say that a little louder, I'm sure the kids in SATAN CITY didn't hear you!?"

"You listen to me mister, I will not tolerate sarcasm. Do you understand me?" 

"Uhh…sorry. Can we drop the subject now?" Gohan sighed a breath of relief, as his mother, eyes slit and a frown clearly evident, placed a plate generously piled high with various foods on the table. He attacked it immediately, wanting to get out of this torture chamber as quickly as his appetite would allow. After swallowing what seemed to be his 15th serving, he patted his full stomach, and promptly grabbed his book bag heading for the door rather quickly. 

"You hold it mister."

"Uhh…yeah mom?"

"Well," his mother waited expectantly for something.

"Well what?"

"Well, AREN'T YOU GOING TO SAY GOODBYE!?"

"Yikes! Oh yeah, " the teen rushed up to her, gave her kiss on the cheek, then turned around and sprinted out the door and up in the air, yelling goodbye to his mother and Bulma, who presently was taking a breather by a tree adjacent to the house. 

"Gohan, remember to eat your lunch!" She then paused, pondering over the stupidity of her statement. She was telling the son of Goku, to _remember_, to eat his lunch. Assuredly it would be the dawn of Armageddon if a saiya-jin managed to forget mealtime.

"Oooh, my baby has grown up so much," squealed the older woman in an obvious showing of a mixture of pride, and remorse. 

**********************

"Whew, that was one hell of a morning. Maybe it's a premonition of things to come?" Son Gohan pondered over the implications of that statement, shuddering involuntarily. He had already reached Satan City, a good 20 minute fly from his home, and was currently swooping down into a deserted alleyway. 

_Better not let anyone see me flying, if I'm to maintain some semblance of normalcy here._

He then proceeded to run towards Orange Star High School, his new hell. He saw the structure up ahead, it looked like an average rendition of a school, with a parking lot adjacent to the school. Gohan immediately concluded from speedy analysis the faulty juxtaposition, rationalizing that traffic would have flowed much smoother if the parking lot entrance had been separate from the school. 

_That is why you need a life Gohan, stop acting so nerdy, _he reprimanded himself.

He ran inside, then proceeded to walk briskly to the Office. It was a normal school office, with the high counter from where the secretary stood, administering absentees and student problems. 

"Hello miss, can you please direct me to the enrolment office?" He asked as politely as he could, retaining some semblance of the manners his mom thrust upon him in his formulative years.

"Enrolment office? No, no, there isn't any enrolment _office._ Just go the guidance office and ask for the registrar, I trust you have already filled out the enrolment _forms._" There was a hint of sarcasm evident in the way she said forms, but Gohan shrugged it off, surmising that he had first day jitters and was imagining things.

"Yes ma'am, I filled out the forms," consciously remembering where he had put them, "I have them right here," he confirmed as he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Ok, go outside, take a left and walk at the end of the hall. There is a sign that says Guidance Office, even _you _can't miss it."

"Umm, Ok, Thanks!" The secretary sweat-dropped as the new kid didn't even notice the mockery in her voice. Ah well, the advantages of being naïve.

***********

"Oh Come on, OPEN UP!" Thunderous pounding resounded throughout the office space. The aggravated person waited a couple of seconds, and then resumed his pounding. 

"Geez, what the hell are you doing there?!" There was a slight tone of discomfort palpable in the voice. 

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU! PERVERT! STOP POUNDING ON THE DOOR WHILE I'M IN THE WASHROOM!" An irate woman's voice shrieked from inside the object of dispute.

"Eep," the man looked at his desk with a little discomfort, terror apparent on his ashen face. "I, can't…hold…it much…longer…" he whispered to no one in particular.

He slowly, taking small deliberate steps, walked towards his desk. 

Gohan entered the guidance department, and by taking a quick calculating glance around it he gathered that only one person was present in the main room, and he surmised that most of the others were in the offices that branched off from the main room. He could hear the lively cacophony of telephones ringing, people speaking, files being shuffled and file cabinets being closed; the sounds emanating from the said offices. He looked at the only man present in the main room, a man in about his mid-thirties, slightly plump with short brown hair closely cropped covering his forehead. He appeared to be spaced out, a little discomfort clearly reflected as his mouth was clenched tightly.

"Excuse me sir," Gohan asked politely, waiting patiently for a response. The man just stood there, currently still adhering to his zoned out stare.

"Um, Excuse me, are you awake?" Gohan waved his hand in front of his vacant stare, still eliciting no response. It looked like the man was in deep contemplation, or was forcibly doing something, as his concentrated stare betrayed.

"EXCUSE ME!" Gohan shouted, fast becoming annoyed at being ignored.

"YIPES!" The man jumped, quickly bending his back a little, while he apparently tried to squeeze his legs even tighter, "Not so loud. I could of…had an accident…" he trailed off a bit, straining himself, "You don't know how this feels… the pain…"

"What are you talking about?" Gohan was obviously perplexed at this man's incessant babbling of some obscure topic, so he decided to leave his question unanswered as he quickly asked another one. "Can you tell me where the registrar's office is? Please."

"Ooh…that way…" The man winced as he pointed a shaky finger towards the corner office. 

"Are you okay?" Gohan narrowed his eyes a bit, a little worried at the man's antics.

"Oh yeah…fine and dandy…just…Ah!" The man's eyes bulged, as he tried to squeeze his legs even tighter, if that was possible. After a few agonizing moments, his face reverted back to its not-so-strained predecessor. 

"Okay," Gohan said, a bit disbelievingly, but again chalking it up to first day anxiety he continued towards the little corner office. Knocking politely, he heard a "come in" emitted from inside permitting entrance.

"Ah, you must be the new student," then noticing the confusion creep into the new boy's face, "The office alerted me that you would be coming."

"Oh. Well, Hi, I'm Son Gohan." He cheerily quipped, trying to mask all the animosity he felt for his new school.

"Hi, I'm Mrs. Taylor. As you already know, I'm the school registrar. Do you have your enrolment papers?"

"Oh yes, right here," Gohan reached into his pocked and withdrew the neatly folded sheet of paper, and then handed it to the elderly woman.

"Thank you," she said as she started typing on her computer. Gohan waited patiently by her desk, for about 5 minutes he assumed, until she was finally done. 

"Well, you have taken the entrance exam, and I see your scores were superb, well, actually, they were perfect. Since you don't have any grades being transferred from any other school your guidance counselor will help you pick out your courses."

"Thanks, um, who is my counselor?"

"Right this way," she led him to another small office, where a tall man was talking on the phone. He waved a greeting to them both, and motioned for Gohan to sit down. The registrar left her computer printout on his desk. 

******************************

"Oh geez…oh geez…I can make it…I can make…AHH…no I can't…" The strange man was not one who frequently engaged in pep talks, especially to himself, but this was an extreme situation which demanded extreme measures. He was in his own world, wallowing in his pool of agony, completely oblivious to the environment around him.

The woman exited the washroom, a distinct scowl plastered on her face. She briskly walked up to the strange portly fellow who was presently zoned out, staring off into space. Apparently he didn't notice her stand right in his face, her narrowed eyes and balled fist an evil foreshadowing of things to come, and yelled at the top of her lungs. "WERE YOU THE BASTARD THAT BANGED ON THE DOOR!!"

"AHHHH!!!" The poor man's body stiffened as his face constricted into an agonizing scream, his mouth gaping open and fists clenched tightly, and his lower body unusually moved, like it was in a fit of spasm, rocking to and fro. Soon his gaping mouth vanished, as relief flooded into his chubby face, and a small smile soon encroached his lips. His pants were gradually darkening, the dark patch speedily enlarging as it corrupted his new trousers. 

"EWWWW!!! What the hell are you doing?!" 

************************

After what seemed ages of chitchatting about his grades and such with the counselor Gohan finally had completed his selection of courses and received his timetable. He could have sworn that he heard yelling from outside the closed office, but he didn't think much of it. With that, he bid farewell to the kind man, and then proceeded on to his first course, which he observed, was Literature. As he was about to leave, he shot a questioning glance at the strange rotund fellow from before, who was still standing there, face aghast, reflecting evident disbelief. Gohan observed a dark patch at the middle part of his trousers, his eyebrows immediately shooting up. 

"Hey, nice pants, I never saw a style like that before." If he hadn't used such a genuine complimentary tone, it would have unquestionably passed off as a sarcastic jibe at the man's misfortune. Gohan couldn't believe that they made pants like those, and how come he hadn't seen that patch there before? It sure was weird, but he had literature to attend to so he shuffled out of the guidance office pondering over the new fashion trends.

In the office the unfortunate fool stood, his pants stiffening, the air making the hardening patch quite cold on his thighs, contemplating suicide.

(A/N- On a completely unrelated note, well, it does have some thing to do with the chapter. Here is a quote I came across I find quite humorous.)

"A man's mother is his misfortune, but his wife is his fault."

**Walter Bagehot (1826 - 1877)**


	3. Narcissistic Fury

(A/N- I usually don't like to write a note _before_ the chapter starts because I, as an ardent fan fiction reader, really think it obstructs the flow of the literary piece. But in spite of that, I feel I must because of the overwhelming and unexpected response I got from these two chapters. 

The reviews, are as always, greatly appreciated and very _helpful_. Some of the literary criticisms I got are incredibly beneficial to my abilities and myself. Thank you very much, remember, a good review is always appreciated, but a good criticism speaks volumes of support. After all, what is the art of fan fiction writing, if not to improve on one's own writing capacity by interactive support by the readers? As for simplifying my writing, that in itself is an example of honing writing skills. So I will try my best to oblige the readers.) 

Narcissistic Fury

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." –The Bible

Orange Star High School was, in comparison, much larger than any other average public school. It was a three-story structure that covered approximately one kilometer squared for just the main building. The parking lot and the various sporting fields added to its rather large size. Gohan presently was in a state of mild panic, frustrated and confused, because he couldn't quite grasp the somewhat odd numbering system depicting the various classrooms. The halls were pretty much deserted, and he was absolutely positive that he had the right floor. 

"Two hundred, two hundred two, two hundred four, twenty-six?" He stared at the offending number incredulously; did these weird city-goers take pride in a confusing numbering system? 

"Why in the world would twenty-six be after numbers in the two hundreds?" That was the baffling question at hand, and Gohan was already obscenely late for his first period class. 

"Oh…oh…" Finally realization dawned to the gullible mountaineer, his previously bewildered disposition changing to a quite embarrassed one. It wasn't a classroom; it was a storage closet…

In his anxious state of mind, he hadn't bothered to check the _next_ classroom that, much to his pleasure, did continue on to two hundred-six. He quickly located his literature class, room two hundred-ten, and knocked twice on the wooden entrance. 

*********************************

Videl Satan, Daughter for the Savior and resident volunteer crime fighter, was as usual, in a state of utter boredom. Not only had her literature teacher ranted on and on about microcosms inherent in literature, he had also—about five minutes ago—confiscated her _supplementary _reading material; her graphic novel…

Erasa, her supposed best friend, was currently frantically trying to cover up a pimple that mysteriously appeared overnight. Videl stifled a laugh, not because of the pimple—laughing at that would be quite unsupportive—but at the various combinations she tried to use to cover it up. She tried the age-old hair-in-the-face look, attempting unsuccessfully to pass it off as some sort of new chic hairstyle. She had also tried the cosmetic approach; that too failed to satisfy her. Presently she was liberally applying some sort of zit cream, rubbing furiously in and around the area of the much-despised pustule. 

Over time though, even Erasa's dilemma failed to keep her attention, and she was back to square one. Just when she was going to abandon all hope, and consign herself to actually listen to her instructor, a knock interrupted the lecture. Annoyed at the intrusion, the teacher called out with some resentment, "Who is it?" 

"Uh…Son Gohan, I'm a new student sir."

"Son Gohan you say? Hmm…Yes, I seem to remember reading over your files. Well don't just stand out there, come on in lad." Son Gohan cautiously opened the door, and timidly walked up to the teacher's desk. "Let me see your timetable."

"Here it is sir," he replied as he handed the piece of paper to his new teacher. The teacher glanced briefly at the document, then handed it back. His slow calculating gaze bore into the newcomer, seemingly trying to detect any hint of mischief or defiance. The kid was rather timid, standing awkwardly with his hands shoved in his pockets, trying his hardest to avoid the onslaught of curious gazes coming from his new classmates. Some, generally the male populace, cast disapproving looks, immediately branding him a nerd. Others, the female public, nodded with appraisal to each other. 

"Hmm, ok Son Gohan. I'm not feeling very evil today so I won't make you do that rather redundant introductory speech which would only manage to embarrass you further," this elicited some snickers form the rear of the room. "You can very well go ahead and choose your own seat for the semester." He waved to the mass of students neatly seated into horizontal rows, which was followed by a whole slew of identical rows parallel to the first, set at a gradual incline. It closely resembled a seating arrangement commonly used in movie theatres and college seminar rooms. Videl eyed their newest addition suspiciously—a longstanding habit—and wearily concluded to herself that he was another pretty face; conceited and overbearing, another bastion of machismo. 

*******************************

Slightly red, Gohan made his way up the room, scanning the packed space in search of a vacancy. The only one he saw was, much to his disappointment, a seat next to a _girl._ A weird girl at that too, for she had her face shoved in a small make-up mirror (A/N-is that what it's called?) frantically rubbing some unidentifiable substance on her nose. 

Reluctantly he slid into the seat, trying to stay as far away from her as possible without coming off as rude. He didn't want to make an obviously image obsessed female irritated, he had heard all sorts of terrifying rumors about their mood swings. Although, he highly doubted the source, a certain midget who took sadistic pleasure in tormenting his poor soul. 

The weird blonde momentarily ceased her cosmetic madness, as she noticed a new presence on her left. She turned to the newcomer a little confused; in her panicked state she was completely oblivious to his arrival. As soon as she caught a glimpse of the new kid, who was forcibly trying to stare straight ahead at the front, she immediately panicked and quickly swiveled her head in the opposite direction. 

Noticing the sudden movement, Gohan turned his head slightly. The blonde girl was looking the other way, towards another girl. Immediately Gohan's gaze was diverted to other girl's azure eyes—which at the moment emitted an aura of languor—that were strikingly beautiful. Not only that, but every aspect of her face seemingly screamed pulchritude, and he couldn't help but gape rather rudely. She noticed him gawking, and returned a menacing scowl that would make almost anyone cower in fear. 

***************************

He hastily averted his gaze, quickly pretending to be interested with his desk. She scowled at him a bit more, and when satisfied, returned her attention to her ailing friend.

"Erasa, what are you doing?" She was referring to the fact that Erasa was staring right behind her, almost like she didn't want the new kid spotting her face.

"Videl, switch seats with me, please??" Erasa gave her a pleading look, accentuating it by tilting her head to the side and clasping her hands together.

"Why?"

"Come on! Didn't you see how cute the new guy is? And I have a goddamn pimple on my nose!" She kept her voice down into a hoarse whisper, fearing eavesdroppers.

"Erasa, all you think about is guys. Besides, he's not _that _cute," Videl said rolling her eyes.

"Are you kidding me? He's a hunk! All he needs is some muscle tone though," she responded, her eyes glazed, promptly entering a fantasy world.

"Hmmph…" Videl absolutely despised "guy talk", and didn't think twice about showing her resentment about the topic. "Anyway, you can't even see your zit," trying, ineffectively, to sound sincere. She had an annoying habit of answering a bit nonchalantly, guessing it came from all the fame and attention she had received over her childhood and subsequent adolescence.

"From where? A freaking space station?!" Videl subdued the fit of giggles threatening to bubble up to the surface. All things considered, the offending blackhead was a little too conspicuous, and would have probably been spotted from a space station. Videl had to forcibly stop herself from bursting into another uncontrollable fit of laughter. After all, she needed to show a little compassion for her friend.

"Oh alright. But what will the new boy think? Us changing seats and all. It's not like he's gonna be that naïve." Oh, if only she knew.

"Um…"

Videl shook her head, asking Erasa for an idea was equivalent to asking a monkey to type a coherent message in the English language. 

"Ask the teacher if you could go to the bathroom, when you come back, I'll be in your seat." Erasa, as usual, agreed to the arrangement immediately, showing her approval by nodding her head vigorously.

************************

Gohan tried his hardest to look natural, but he kept stiffening as his sensitive hearing allowed him to—albeit reluctantly—eavesdrop on his neighbors' conversation. His face still retained the reddish hue that burned brightly from his cheeks, and several times it had intensified over the course of the girls' tête-à-tête. 

_Pimple? Why would she be that worried? Cute? She thinks I'm cute? Oh man, I better keep as far away from her as possible. _

He silently observed as the blonde one, Erasa was it, asked to go to the bathroom. In the course of her absence, the raven-haired girl, Videl, had stealthily changed seats without the teacher noticing as he carried on his monotonous discourse, now about underlying concepts in a piece of literature, occasionally scribbling notes on the blackboard. 

Gohan tried to look unperturbed by her reallocation, as he pretended to concentrate on his teacher. 

Videl glanced at him, and sighed. He knew; it was painfully evident in his confused disposition. Undoubtedly he was feigning ignorance, but how he deduced their rather hasty plan she had no idea. Obviously everyone would have noticed her change seats, apart from the teacher, but she surmised he knew why they had done it. That or he was under one big misconception if he thought she was attempting to hit on him; pain would most likely ensue from that scenario.

"She's just a little self-conscious." 

"Huh?" Gohan diverted his attention to Videl, bewilderment reflecting from his features.

She sighed, "Stop pretending. I said she's just a little self-conscious." He looked at her curiously, like he didn't still catch her drift. "That's why we changed seats." 

"Oh, that's ok. I don't mind."

Videl frowned a little when Erasa re-entered her room. She tried to cover up the undesired distention by strategically positioning a blonde bang that also, consequently, partially blinded her. She comically made her way up the obliquitous aisle, tripping and stumbling upon lazily discarded book bags. After much embarrassment, she finally made it to their row and took Videl's seat.

She mouthed a grateful "thanks" to her dark-haired friend and sat back in her new desk, a little relieved. Videl decided that if she was there, and bored to death, she might as well get to know more about the new kid. 

"So, which school did you transfer from?" She queried, keeping her voice barely audible, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention from their instructor.

"Huh? I didn't transfer from any school." Gohan responded, a little apprehension creeping into his tone. He did not want to be conversing with a girl, much less a dangerous-but-beautiful one. 

"What do you mean? Four weeks have passed since school started, you must have transferred from somewhere."

_Wow, she's a curious one_. "Well, I was home-schooled for most of my life, this is the first time I've ever been to school," he answered, shrugging off the dubious look on her face.

"No way, you mean to say that you're a senior but you never been to school before?" He nodded, still keeping his eyes glued to the front.

"Wow, where do you live, in the forest or something?" She commented sarcastically, and much to her surprise, he nodded slightly.

"Well, not exactly the forest, but pretty close. I live in the 498 mountain area."

"WHAT!?" She then immediately clamped her hand on her mouth, realizing that she had practically shouted it out loud.

"Ms. Videl, is there something you wish to share with us?" The teacher inquired with the usual teacher cliché, and to think, they're _in _literature class. The irony was not lost on the young crime-fighter. 

"No, nothing." She managed to squeak, a little embarrassment joining in with the shock that was still evident in her face. The teacher stared at her for a moment, then decided to be lenient. He continued on with the lesson refraining from admonishing the excited teen. 

Class resumed again, and this time Videl decided to pay attention, not wanting to risk further embarrassment. She would have her chance to clear this little problem up at lunch. 

***********************

The next four periods passed without event, much to the delight of one Son Gohan. He had that girl, Videl, in all of his classes so far. So much for luck being on his side, and with any luck, his _luck_ won't abandon him completely. 

_Damn I'm starved, four periods without lunch is too much!_ The famished teenager complained, searching for a suitable spot on the grassy plains to accommodate his rather large lunch. He didn't even bother to go to the cafeteria, two factors predominantly influencing that decision. One, that he had no money, and two, if he did have money he would have bought the whole cafeteria. Not a good way to make new friends if you eat all their food. 

He quickly scanned the eating tables that were fast filling up with hungry teenagers, and spotted one way on the other side partially hidden by the deep shadow cast by an adjacent Oak. Seeing that it was an ideal spot to keep his appetite hidden, he quickly claimed it as his own. He pulled out the tiny capsule, pressed the button on top and dropped it on the table. A loud "poof" was emitted, and when all the smoke cleared a considerable pile of food covered every inch of the bench. Not wanting to torment his stomach any longer, he immediately digged in, wolfing down a lunch equivalent to feed a small army. 

*******************************

_Where is he? He couldn't have disappeared that fast. He was just here!_ Videl was getting increasingly frustrated, not because she couldn't find him—that was only part of it—but because he had managed to out maneuver her quite easily. It was one thing to be obviously smarter than her, but it was a whole different thing to be _faster_, a physical attribute, than her. Ego bruised, she scanned the eating area outside, knowing full well that he hadn't entered the cafeteria. It made her a bit guilty for trailing him, but he was so shy that any attempt to engage him in conversation was futile. Justification enough, for the daughter of the champ.

"Hey Videl, what's up?" Videl watched as Erasa approached her, still trying to make her hairstyle hide the pimple.

"Nothing Erasa. Hey, have you seen that kid Gohan around, he managed to put the slip on me."

"Slip on you? My, my, Videl, where you following cute ol' Son Gohan?"

Videl scowled, "Not in the way you'd think. There's something weird about him. Did you know he never went to school? And that he lives nearly 4 hours away!"

"Why all the curiosity. I thought you hated boys," and then mimicking Videl's voice, "_Urghhhm boys, boys, boys. Stop talking about them. They're obsessive, and egotistic, and jerks, and assho—"_

"Shut up, pimple face." It was rather childish, but it did the trick as Erasa had an indignant scowl plastered on her face.

"That was a cheap sho—"

"Hey Videl!" Erasa was interrupted by Sharpener; self-proclaimed manly man. 

"Oh no," Videl held her head, "Aren't you due back at the laboratory to get your screws tightened?"

"He he, feisty as ever babe." Videl nearly bashed him upside the head, and had she not been preoccupied he would have assuredly been intimately acquainted with the back of his skull.

"Sharpener? Why weren't you at Lit class today?" Erasa interjected, causing Sharpener to finally turn around and notice her presence, for he had made no move to acknowledge that she was there.

"Whoa, Erasa. Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Erasa's facial complexion immediately tinged over with red. Steam was faintly discernable escaping her ears. Her face was set in a menacing glare as her hands were balling into fists, pimple forgotten, remark not. 

The cocky smirk in Sharpener's face was fast erased, replaced by some apprehension and a little fear. He gulped nervously, silently offering prayer for a painless and speedy death. For all his machismo and bravado, he had no intention of facing a woman disparaged. Erasa took a threatening step forward, slow and deliberate, face—rather unbelievably—darkening into deeper shades of red. Instinctively, Sharpener backed up, hands held up, eyes silently pleading for mercy.

Videl watched, slightly amused, at Sharpener's pusillanimity. Sharpener had gone too far this time. He had attacked Erasa in the place most vulnerable, her looks. Had he known that she had spent the whole day fretting over that damnable furuncle, he probably would not have done what he did. But now, he must pay, and she was going to relish every moment of it. 

"YOU MOTHER FU—ING A—HOLE!!" She wasn't one enamored with expletives; rather she refrained from using them as much as possible, but special cases deserve special attention. Sharpener yelped as she swung her purse like a baseball bat, clonking him firmly in the temple. God only knows what women keep in there, the seemingly bottomless chasm of possessions, but Sharpener found out the hard way that whatever there was in there; it was hard…and heavy…"

Slightly dazed, Sharpener clutched his throbbing skull while he fled—tail between legs—whilst an irate Erasa followed, still swinging the purse like a dangerous weapon. She had managed to clonk him over the head a few more times, although their intensity did not rival the first.

Videl laughed a little, relishing the fact that Sharpener finally received his comeuppance, and a dear price to pay it was indeed. On the verge of submitting to defeat, Videl slowly trudged back towards the building. It was then that her attention was directed to the shadowy recesses of a table, and more importantly, who it was occupying it. It was hard to see, extremely hard, but she managed to make out a bit of red and white, Gohan's current ensemble. Smirking to herself, she made her way towards the unsuspecting saiya-jin, this was going to be fun. 

(A/N- Weekly, daily, hourly—whatever you prefer—dosage of humorous one-liners.)

The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy.

**Sam Levenson (1911 - 1980)**


	4. The Birth of a Hero

The Birth of a Hero

Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes. 

** Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)**

Completely oblivious to the pending danger, Son Gohan was blissfully ravaging his plentiful meal. So far he had made remarkable progress, managing to deplete half his reserves in a minute or so, half of his reserves being equivalent to that of a twenty-person banquet. In his haste, he failed to realize that a woman with a relatively high ki, for that of the high school students, was making a beeline towards him. 

Videl's smirk grew a little wider as her suspicions were confirmed, Son Gohan was the student at the table, and he was trying to stay hidden. It was time to interrogate the new kid, who was at the moment…

She couldn't believe it, her mouth hung low in an apparent expression of her shock. There was no way any one man, let alone teen, could eat such a ridiculous amount of food. Moreover, there was no way that one man could eat that much food that fast. Appalled at his blatant disregard for table manners and, even more so, about his appetite, she entered the shadowy depths under the tree hand on hips. 

"Son Gohan! What the hell are you doing?!"

He nearly choked on a rice ball at the sudden ejaculation, immediately coughing and spluttering, trying to spit out the suffocating morsel. After a few minutes of pain, he managed to forcibly swallow it, and turned his attention to whoever addressed him. His eyes went wide with a feeling of dread, it was her—Videl—and she didn't appear to be in a mood for civilized conversation. 

"Um…eating?" He answered with slight trepidation. He wasn't sure why he was afraid, maybe it was his experiences with his mother, but he knew that he most certainly was very afraid.

"That's not eating Gohan," she said disgust clearly manifested in her tone.

"Sorry, I was really hungry. And I thought I was alone." He quickly said, his apprehension growing with each sentence she spoke.

Feeling a little guilty at the last statement, she decided to ease off, after all how could she get answers if he was afraid to talk to her?

"Ah it's ok. I shouldn't have sprung up on you like that. But next time, try not to eat like that. It's so disgusting. Speaking of eating, how can you eat so much?"

"I don't really know. I guess it's heredity or something. My father used to eat a heck of a lot."

"Wow, it's kinda hard to believe though. That is way too much food. Oh, I just realized. I didn't introduce myself."

"Speaking of which, neither did I." They both smiled at each other.

"So, who's gonna go first?" Videl asked, rather nonchalantly, because she knew that he knew who she was. One advantage of being a celebrity child is that you don't need to bear the formality of introducing yourself—your status does that for you—although, conversely, copious disadvantages were highly prevalent. 

"Well, you probably already heard the teacher say my name, but for the sake of formality, it is Son Gohan." 

A smile graced her pinkish lips, "And you probably already heard of me before, _but for the sake of formality_, it is Satan Videl." He laughed as a broad smile encroached his lips. He really didn't know who she was prior to the inception of his schooling, but he deduced fairly easily that she had to be some relative of Mr. Satan—the mendacious fraud— and she may very well be his daughter.

"Hey, you wanna join me? I think I can spare some food for you." He looked at the pile with a hint of remorse, but after a mental debate, decided it would be best to part with some of it. 

She wanted to decline, and she would have, had she not forgotten her lunch money. Currently the Daughter of the Champ was broke, not a dime on her, and was absolutely famished on account of a light breakfast. 

"Sure, I'm starved. And it looks like you wouldn't notice a sandwich gone here or there," she said smiling. Most of her suspicion of the boy's character had disappeared, he seemed nice enough, but there still was a nagging doubt about him. Something was rotten in the State of Denmark, and she'd be damned if anyone could prove otherwise. 

"Hehe, go ahead, help yourself." Cautiously she picked out a sandwich, taking a tester bite to make sure it wasn't some weird mountaineer combination, and was delighted to discover that it was absolutely delectable. Her stomach was inclined to agree, as it growled for more. She blushed, hoping that Gohan hadn't heard that, but much to her dismay he did, a knowing smirk plastered on his face. 

"Heh. I guess we're both really hungry."

"Yeah, I guess. I didn't have much of a breakfast, come to think of it, my breakfast was a measly slice of toast, over-charred.

He grinned, "I had a measly breakfast as well. Just a few chicken legs and 4 bowls of rice, not so much of a breakfast of champions is it?"

She sweat-dropped, "Yeah, that's a breakfast of a whole championship team…"

He blushed, instantly remembering that his appetite was a little different from the norm. Videl was on her second sandwich and showed no signs of slowing down; Chi-Chi's cooking had that irresistible taste to it.

"Man this is really good. You're mom a professional chef or something?"

"Hah no, but if you ask me, she should be."

"No kidding, I've haven't ate anything so tasty in a long time. That includes all those stupid parties for my dad at fancy over-priced restaurants."

For the next few minutes they ate in silence, well as silent as a saiya-jin could be whilst eating. Videl, finishing her third sandwich and concluding that she couldn't possible eat any more, diverted her attention to Gohan who was just finishing up his massive lunch. She looked at him, casually thinking that he indeed was pretty attractive, only to subsequently admonish herself for such despicable thoughts. How could she wage her ongoing campaign against males if she herself fell for one? 

She had never felt so attracted to someone ever before, mostly because her excessively proactive danger signals went off at nearly every half-decent fellow, but this time it was different. Gohan wasn't like the rest. He had a distinctive aura of benevolence, giving himself the impression that he wouldn't unnecessarily hurt even a fly. Although, conversely, it also projected the image that he was painfully geeky and fragile. 

"Videl?" She was immediately startled out of her reverie. Gohan was looking up at her awkwardly, sitting against a tree looking quite satisfied with his enormous meal. 

"Yes?"

"Oh nothing. You were just spaced out there for a little while."

"Yeah, just thinking. About, you know, stuff." He nodded his head, not wanting to pry her for details, ironically respecting the privacy of a person who was prying _him_ for details. 

"Well, the bell's gonna go soon. Better get back." Gohan motioned to get up, but he heard a low beeping sound. He looked at her as if inquiring about the noise. She was staring at her watch, a rather unusual one at that too.

"Yes Chief?"

Static emitted from the watch, then a deep voice that seemingly commanded authority was heard. "Videl, we are currently staked out around one of Mafia boss Toni Salvatore's warehouses. We have intelligence reports suggesting that the Don himself is inside. As you know it is imperative that we don't fail this time in his capture, he has eluded us one too many times. We still have intelligence agents inside, who are currently infiltrating their base, undercover of course, to disable the communications archive and to sabotage the get away vehicles. This is a very sensitive matter, which should be approached with caution."

"Alright Chief I'm on my way."

"Negative Videl, our agents need sometime to complete their objectives, and your helicopter is a clear sign to the criminals that the police is on their tail. We have surrounded them undercover, and they are not yet aware of our presence. We need you to join us ETA minus two hours, without your helicopter, near the Adams Street Bridge. There one of our operatives will chauffeur you to us. Be there at precisely 14:30. 

"Ok Chief."

"Over and out"

She looked at the watch deep in contemplation, and then started to walk slowly towards the school building. Gohan hastily caught up with her, genuine bewilderment reflected upon his eyes.

"What was that about?"

"What, you heard him, I'm needed at a stakeout."

"Why? Are you a cop?"

She looked at him dubiously, "You don't know what I do?"

"Nope"

"It figures, you live way in the mountains. Anyway, I voluntarily fight crime. Since I'm the daughter of the Champ, I guess I inherited his fighting prowess."

Gohan resisted the urge to laugh, suppressing his giggles, he continued to walk beside her. "So, is it dangerous?"

She laughed, "Of course it is, but I can take the heat."

He glanced at her a little worried, "If your going to storm some drug bosses' hideout, it's a certainty that they'd have heavy artillery."

"Probably…" She trailed off, and Gohan noticed a very minute trace of vacillation inherent in her voice, something that wouldn't have been noticed if he hadn't looked for it.

"I don't think you should go, you could get hurt."'

She blushed a little, noticing the sincere tone in his voice. Did he care for her that much? She had only met him today for Pete's sake. Maybe he was this nice to everyone, he did seem very compassionate. 

"No it's ok, I do this sort of thing everyday. No big deal."

Gohan was about to object, but the bell went off signifying the end of lunch. 

"Bye Gohan, see you next class." Videl said as she strolled off into the building. He cursed under his breath, knowing he didn't have time now to make Videl reconsider. Why was he so worried about her anyway? He had just met her. But he couldn't shake off the troublesome feeling that something was going to happen to her. He couldn't let that happen, not after what had happened before when he let things get out of hand. Videl was his newest friend, the first person his age that he had come into contact with for a long time, and it was his duty to do everything in his power to prevent her from getting hurt.

Why did he care for her so intensely? Was he attracted to her? Definitely, but to what extent was still to be determined. He blushed a little as he pondered over his feelings for Videl, and came to the conclusion that he liked her, very much. As he was about to enter the school though, a thought struck him. How was he going to help Videl without revealing the extent of his abilities? If they were exposed, then unquestionably he would be alienated from his classmates, and most importantly, from Videl. 

After careful deliberation, he determined that his best bet would be to seek help from Bulma Briefs, resident Z fighter genius. He walked in the direction of the Nurse's office, hoping silently that she wouldn't cause too much of a problem. Upon entering the small room he immediately reconsidered. The nurse was not the grandmotherly nurturing lady we had all become accustomed to, but possessed sharp features and a stiff form. Her sharp calculating gaze bore into him, quickly instilling fear into the spiky-haired teen. 

"What's it?" She asked, her tone being quick and precise. Gohan immediately winced at her strict demeanor, this was going to be hard convincing. 

"Um, I don't feel so good." He said, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

"Oh really? Where have I heard that before? Now, what exactly are you feeling?"

"I don't know, I feel hot and a little dizzy." Thinking quickly, he inconspicuously warmed himself with his ki, the end effect being that his skin was hot to touch and sweat started to trickle down his face. 

"Well let's have a look-see." The tone was dripping with skepticism, as she rose and walked around her desk to Gohan. She put her hand on his forehead, and her eyes immediately widened. She also observed that sweat was dripping freely from his face, not a good sign. Had she been in Gohan's shoes, she would have known it was hot perspiration and not the cold sweat reminiscent in fever. 

"Okay, you look pretty ill. You definitely have a fever, so I suggest you go home and start some fever medication. Here, this is your excuse slip, give it to the front office."

"Thanks." Relief was evident in his voice, and still feigning illness, he swaggered out of the office and into the hallway. Making sure that no one was around, he zipped across to the front office, excused himself and walked up to the roof of the building. He again scanned for prying eyes, and when satisfied, took off as fast as he could, white ki enveloping his body. 

***************************

Gohan had a brief chat with Bulma, and they both had come to the mutual conclusion that a disguise would be best suited for him. So after approximately one and a half hours, during which Gohan interacted with the purple menace, Bulma came back from her lab triumph evident on her face. 

"Oh I am such a genius!"

"Wow, I think Vegeta's pride is rubbing off on you Bulma," Gohan jibed in playful banter.

She scowled at him, "There's nothing wrong in stating the facts."

"Facts? Or arrogance?"

She smacked him playfully as she handed him some sort of watch.

"Bulma, I don't want to tell the time, I want a disguise!" He exclaimed, a little flustered and irritated.

"It's not a watch silly, it's a device that is programmed to decapsulate your disguise in such a way that by a touch of a button you would be wearing your costume."

"Wow, is that even possible?"

"Not until today, shows you how incredibly adept I am."

"So I press the red button?"

"Yup."

He pressed it and suddenly a bright light enveloped him, the intensity of the light was enough to make Bulma and Trunks turn away shielding their eyes from its brightness, and as suddenly it had come it had gone. Gohan was nowhere to be seen though, his characteristic spiky hair and gullible face replaced by a helmet and visor. Standing there was a tall form, clad in a green gi over a skin-tight black body suit, a red cape billowing about behind him. All in all he looked quite comical, the helmet accompanied by a visor made him look like some deranged biker, and completing the amusing image was a red cape. 

Gohan looked into a full-length mirror and was amazed; he looked like those cool superheroes in comics and movies!

"Wow Bulma!! I look awesome, this is so cool!" He exclaimed, brimming with excitement. "Look Trunks, don't I look like a superhero!"

"Uh…no comment."

"Wow, thanks Bulma, this is awesome." He glanced at the watch, and noticed that Videl had to be by the Adam's Street Bridge in 15 minutes, his cue to leave. "Man, I love it. I have to go now Bulma, watch for me in the news!" With that the thrilled teen waved goodbye, and blasted off towards the bridge. 

Trunks watched the trailing figure of Gohan, and then looked up to his mother.

"Mom you made him into a fool."

********************************

Videl had already been chauffeured by the covert operatives, who were incredibly prompt, to a black van parked near the warehouse. Currently she was in the van, going over a map with the Chief and the leader of the S.W.A.T team, as they made her privy to the carefully constructed mission plan.

"Alright, I get it." Videl answered, looking a little apprehensive. The S.W.A.T team would burst in through the side door, and would open fire on the various guard posts inside. Videl, taking cover from S.W.A.T members who would form a semi-circle around her, will race into the door they believe leads to Salvatore. She would have to covertly take out the goons guarding his office's entrance, and apprehend the Mafia boss. 

"Here Videl, take this." The Team leader handed her a Ruger & Stromm automatic pistol, capable of firing multiple rounds in rapid succession without jamming. 

"No thanks, I can't stand those things." She said, backing away from the offered weapon.

"It's going to be extremely hard for you without this, are you sure?"

"Never been surer in my life."

"Suit yourself, we move in at ETA minus 2 minutes." With that he left the van, discreetly walking towards a larger van in the vicinity. This van contained a twelve man S.W.A.T team, heavily armed and ready for action.

Two minutes passed rather quickly, causing Videl's heartbeat to increase and a queasy feeling manifested itself in the pit of her stomach. She was shaking slightly, the anxiety obviously getting the best of her. She had apprehended many criminals before, even armed ones, but this was different. Now she was dealing with callous murderers, who were very well armed and numerous. She was strong, but not invincible. 

"Take it easy, you're going to be fine." The Chief said, warmly putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and smiled, an uneasy smile, and turned her head back to the rear of the van.

"It's time," he said softly, as the team leader gave the order through the radio. Next thing she knew, she was running furiously behind a bunch of black-clad S.W.A.T agents, everything happening in a fast blur. They kicked down the door, and rushed in. Soon rapid gunfire permeated the silence, as S.W.A.T opened up on the unsuspecting goons. Disheveled and confused, the gang members tried to take cover behind boxes, shouting for back up. 

Videl ducked down behind a tight semi-circle of swat members, who had shields of their own as they fired. Time blurred as the Leader gave her the signal, and she rushed towards a door inside the warehouse, whilst S.W.A.T provided heavy cover fire. Staying as low as possible, stray bullets whizzing past her head, she kicked down the metal door and jumped in, relieved to be out of firing range. She was in a staircase, with the stench of drugs spread thickly in the air. Subduing her sudden urge to retch, she made her way up the stairs silently. 

Peeking inside the hallway the stairs led to, she saw four goons guarding the door, a frantic look in their eyes as they tried to discern what was happening downstairs. Seeing their panicked state of mind, she decided to take advantage and charged head on at them. When they saw her it was too late, she had already put one goon straight through the wall, and the other was kneeling on the ground clutching his stomach. The two remaining gangsters tried to pull out their pistols, but the girl was too fast for them and soon they also joined their comrades on the floor, unconscious. 

She kicked down the door, and rushed in, to see a very large gentleman in a white suit sitting behind a massive mahogany desk. He stood up and slammed his hands on the desk, causing a loud thump to resonate throughout the room.

"Who dares disrupt me?!" He bellowed, his face set in a menacing glare.

"It's the Girl Scouts. You want to buy a freshly baked cookie? The proceeds will be donated to Criminals Anonymous, it's a great counseling center for criminal masterminds and psychopathic killers to talk their problems through. Say, didn't I see you there?"

"Oh, a smart one are you. Are you here to take me to jail?" He laughed heartily, momentarily taking his eyes off of her, no doubt coming to erroneous conclusions by observing the intruder's gender, and size. 

That was all the opening she needed, and she sprang forward with great agility and speed. She landed a direct sidekick to his massive head, and then flipping around using her momentum she smashed him with an aerial roundhouse. He staggered backwards, a little dazed by the sudden onslaught. 

_He didn't fall! Those were the hardest kicks I could muster._

She didn't want to surrender her advantage, so she pressed on, giving him a barrage of kicks and punches she so frequently used on her punching bag in the gym. The big man was nearly overwhelmed, but with a sudden bellow of fury he smashed her with a direct hit on the face. She reeled backwards, blood dripping from her nose, instinctively covering up the nose with her hand. He charged at her and smashed her with his shoulder, sending her flying back into the wall, a large crack forming on the wall by the impact. 

"Approximately two percent of my body mass is fat. Allow me to show you what 300 pounds of muscle can do." She didn't give him a chance to act though, as she sprang up and using her speed managed dodge the punch that shattered the wall into pieces. She again pursued a relentless attack, this time keeping her distance as not to make the same mistake she did before. She was doing very well; landing solid kicks to the temple and cranium that were slowly wearing the big man down, his body however was extremely hard. He wasn't kidding about the percent fat statistic. Just as she was getting ready to launch her coup-de-grace, a spinning aerial uppercut kick, she heard a metallic click past her temple. 

A cold hard pistol was set on the side of her head, the man holding it was one of the goons she knocked out earlier, guess he recovered fast. 

"Move pretty one, and you die." The voice was malicious, with rancid breath being emitted from his mouth.

Don Salvatore had fully recovered from the Videl's ferocious onslaught, blood dripping from a gash on his head. 

"Good work Axe, remind me to raise your salary."

"No problem boss," he quipped, still keeping the gun trained on her head.

Salvatore walked up to her and smashed her face again, this time nearly breaking her nose as more blood spewed out from her nostrils. She lay on the ground, slightly dazed.

"Wow boss, isn't she the pretty one?"

"Probably, that shirt is too obstructing though, remove it for me Axe."

Not realizing until it was too late, Videl heard a tearing sound, as the goon called Axe ripped off her white over shirt. She was left only wearing her pink undershirt, and somewhere amongst the havoc of this mission her pigtails had opened up, leaving her dark hair cascading down to her shoulders. 

She looked up at the Don, whose eyes were gleaming with lust. Fear immediately sprung forth as the pit of her stomach was going wild, she watched him slowly advance upon her.

"Don't you dare," she squeaked, her voice slightly trembling. 

"Shut up bitch, you don't tell the boss what he can and can't do. Oh yeah, you make a move against him, anything, and your brains will be splattered all over the floor, got it?"

Salvatore continued to advance upon her, as he slowly undid the button on his trousers. He walked over and knelt down on top of her, slowly pushing the long length of hair behind her ear. 

"So beautiful, I bet you're still a virgin. This was worth the fight."

Videl pressed herself against the floor, wanting it to swallow her up whole. Anything was better than this, anything. She was trembling violently, tears welling up in her eyes. As he leaned in closer, inevitably to force a kiss, she turned her head to the side and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping against hope that this was some bad dream. 

She waited for those vile lips to touch her face, a steady stream of tears flowing down off her face and on to the floor. His hot breath came very near, and was about to make the initial contact when she heard a whooshing sound, followed by a muffled "oof".

Her eyes shot open and she saw Salvatore writhing in agony beside her, clutching his abdomen. The other goon, Axe, was staring at some guy who was holding a gun at him. Hold on, he was holding the gun that Axe was training on her earlier. How did he get it so fast?

"You know it's not nice to point guns at people. Especially at pretty women."

"Wha…how," the confused goon managed to stammer, a little fear creeping into his disposition. 

"Not what my friend, who. I am," he promptly jumped backwards, doing all sorts of weird poses, "The GREAT SAIYA-MAN!"

Videl would have burst out laughing had she not just experienced an attempted rape, but she called out, "Who?"

He turned to her, jumping into another set of poses, "The defender of the innocent, the upholder of justice, I right wrongs, I free the oppressed, I AM GREAT SAIYAMAN!" He finished with a particularly goofy pose, which earned a grin from Videl. 

"Now man, you were very cocky with a gun on Miss Videl, now let's see if you can face her without it, shall we?" He turned to Videl, "I believe you have some ass kicking to attend to."

The man's eyes widened in fear, and he decided the best option would be to flee, revealing his true cowardice. She disposed of him easily, and glanced at Salvatore, who had finished writhing around in pain and had passed out on the carpet.

"What did you do to him?"

"Oh just gave him what he deserved. Are you okay?" He saw the dried up remnants of her salty tears on her face. She was still trembling a little; it was a traumatizing experience to say the least. 

"I'll be fine," she said, trying to muster up enough courage to sound sincere. She was trying her hardest not to cry, she couldn't cry, after all was that not a sign of weakness?

He walked up to her and handed her the torn up shirt softly saying, "Are you sure? You're bleeding."

She looked at him with large eyes and nodded. Wiping the blood before it completely dried with her shirt that Saiya-man had handed to her. S.W.A.T had swarmed into the room, quickly cuffing Salvatore's limp body and dragging him off, hoping to incarcerate him for a long time.

The Chief walked up to them, "Good work Videl, we knew we could count on you." Then diverting his attention to Saiya-man, "And you to son, I didn't catch your name by the way."

Gohan looked at him, and jumped backwards, repeating the embarrassing introduction process. "The defender of the innocent, the upholder of justice. I right wrongs, I free the oppressed, I AM GREAT SAIYAMAN!!" Everyone stopped what they were doing, the S.W.A.T members gaping at him, trying to maintain a straight face and utilize the years of discipline they were taught. Saiya-man nodded to them, and jumped out the window flying off.

"Wow, he could fly?" Videl asked, to no one in particular.

"Yeah, he was amazing. The S.W.A.T members were getting overwhelmed, since you took a little bit more time than anticipated. They're ammunition was fast being depleted, lucky for them, this fellow showed up and sedated them all quite easily."

She looked outside the window, to the trailing figure of Saiya-man. 

_I wish I could fly. I wonder who he is?_ _I owe him my life. DAMN HIM!_

(A/N- If I type anymore, my fingers will lose all sense of feeling. I privy thee, then, to a humorous parting gift.)

I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty. 

** George Burns (1896 - 1996)**


	5. Propensity to Dream

Propensity to Dream

"What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story,  
And the greatest good is little enough:  
for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams."

-Pedro Calderon de la Barca 

The wind whipped noisily in the deserted street, causing the scuttling of scrap paper and stray leaves. It seemed that whenever a job had to be pulled off, the sounds of the most insignificant were amplified ten fold. From his makeshift den of cardboard, and a ragged and dirty woolen cloth wrapped around him tightly, a destitute male took to drink—as many others do—to drown out his failures in life. Only the streetlamps yielded shallow pools of golden light to alleviate the pitch darkness of the wintry night. 

An old American vehicle entered the halcyon scene, engine gurgling as the driver drove up and parallel parked opposite a currency exchange store. Three men, dressed in black, were seated inside the large vehicle. To the casual eye, they were merely friends enjoying a night out, but as we intensify our scrutiny we come to realize more sinister intentions. 

*********************

A beat-up old Cadillac pulled into a gas station, brakes squealing as the vehicle came to a stop beside an even more ramshackle fuel pump. 

"Look dudes, you guys wait here, while get I some gas and something to eat." An enormous male opened the driver side door, and struggled to wedge himself out of the driver seat. His leather jacket made funny noises as it rubbed viciously against the leather seats. Soon, after much violent shaking of the seemingly ensnared man, he made it out and proceeded towards the gas station convenience mart. 

Gaping incredulously at the obese fellow the male located in the backseat called out to his accessory in crime, "Ay, I thought you said he was our getaway driver…What the F—K can he get away from?" 

His accomplice seated in the front gave an annoyed grunt, and replied with some exasperation, "Look, he's a real good driver, I heard. An' anyway, he's the best I could do with our budget…ya dig?"

"Woah…I bet fat peeps jog around _him_ for exercise." He said with an accent reminiscent of the Satan City slums; it immediately gave the impression that they were raised impoverished. 

"Look dude, we can't attract any attention, ya dig? So try to act cool an' don't do nothin' stupid. Got it Jimbo?" 

"Yah yah, no prob, Mike." Jimbo replied nonchalantly, not paying much attention to the ramblings of his accomplice, but rather was more interested with his weapon of choice. He pulled it out of concealment, which took some doing because of its remarkable size and the scarcity of space in the back of the vehicle. He ran his fingertips over the hard metal lovingly, stroking the lethal mechanism. Mike swiveled his body around to discern why his partner had quieted down, only to gape in astonishment at the obscenely conspicuous weapon. 

Recovering slightly from his shock, he exclaimed loudly, "What the f—k is that, an anti-aircraft machine gun?!"

"What?! It gets peeps ta piss in their pants, that's all I want."

Mike shook his head, feeling a migraine coming on; why in all that is holy did he choose such an idiot as a partner? 

****************************

"Ok dudes, that's the money mart. You guys go in and do whacha want, I'm gonna drive 'round the block and meet up with ya guys in 'bout two minutes. That should be enough time to get in an' out with the money." 

"Yeah, you'd better be here in two, let's go, Jimbo." He gestured to his partner in the back, who was struggling to get his ridiculously large weapon to fit through the door. "No no, dumbass, not that! Jus' bring 'bout yer pistol, that's all we need." 

"A'ight, A'right, don't get yer panties in a twist." Reluctantly abandoning his beloved weapon, Jimbo, clad fully in black, got out and walked briskly across the street towards the Money Mart, Mike in tow. Both men quickly pulled on ski masks, also black. They entered the store, which was empty save for the cashier, as they had previously anticipated. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, sporting a punk rocker outfit and blonde hair—which was cut short into spikes—and as soon as she saw the potential customers, her face immediately contorted into a sneer of contempt. 

"What ya guys want? It ain't that cold out there ya know." The voice was somewhat shrill, attitude literarily dripping from her weary disposition. Not the best way to greet customers, but hey, they weren't complaining. 

"A'ight bitch, this is a hold up. Gimme' everythin' in the register, NOW!" Mike ordered, pulling out his pistol and pointing it at the cashier. 

"Oh really? Well looks like you guys are outta luck, cuz we just sold out in bets, an' the cash flow is gone. No money here." Her voice was unusually calm, not one decibel wavering nor did her hands shake betraying any sort of fear. She casually gestured to their guns and said, "Looks like you gotta take your business elsewhere."

Mike looked at her in amazement, shock evident as his mouth was nearly hanging open slack-jawed, "What part of give me the money don't you understand? I got a f—ing gun trained on you, are you crazy?"

Keeping her voice steady, obviously repressing a surge of anger, she replied through gritted teeth, "I said, we don't have any money. What part of that don't _you_ understand?"

Jimbo was frantically looking outside the door, hoping that no one would choose this time to exchange currency, "Man, hurry up bitch! We ain't got all day!" He kept pacing back and forth, looking outside into the dusty streets, and back towards the psychopathic cashier. 

Her hand slowly went under the cash register, and felt about finally bumping her finger into something that protruded out from beneath, like a button. She kept her sharp gaze trained at the two criminals, replying again slowly, "I told you, we don't have any money." 

Jimbo was clearly panicking as he ceased his frantic pacing. Brandishing his weapon wildly he screamed, "GIVE IT NOW OR I'LL BLOW YOUR F—KING HEAD OFF!!!"

She screamed back shrilly, "I F—KING TOLD YOU I DON'T HAVE ANY!!!" As both men winced at the tone, she slammed the button and ducked behind the counter, and immediately a piercing alarm permeated the air while iron shutters descended and covered the windows. A bulletproof glass casing slammed down on top of the counter, effectively segregating the cashier from the two panicked criminals. 

"SHIT! Run for it!" Both men dashed for the door, opening it before it automatically locked them inside. Jimbo shoulder barged the second door, trying to push it open, his only chance for escape. He rebounded off the door violently, landing on the concrete floor with a sickening thud. A faint moan escaped his lips as he clutched his shoulder, wincing in pain while he tried to shake the bout of dizziness that enveloped him. 

Mike exclaimed in terror, "Open it! We gotta get out!"

Recovering from the head on collision, Jimbo rammed the door repeatedly with his shoulder—trying to unhinge it—but it wouldn't budge. His shoulder barges were getting more and more desperate, but he refused to cease his madness until his shoulder went completely numb in pain. They both leaned against the wall, slowly slumping downwards in defeat until they were seated on the hard floor. 

Mike pulled off his mask, sweat heavily drenching his dark hair. Jimbo followed his lead, and both sat there despondently awaiting the men in blue. Jimbo was staring straight ahead at the other sidewall, trying to discern what had went wrong with their relatively simple heist. He slowly followed his gaze upwards and then stiffened; then frantically grabbing his mask he tried rather unsuccessfully to mask his face once again. 

Curious to his friend's madness, Mike glanced at what had made his cohort so self-conscious. His face fell even more, if that was possible, as the odds were just stacking up against them. Not only had they gotten themselves trapped between the two entrance doors, they had given the camera a clean look at their face. No chance of escape now, they were six feet deep in pig excrement. Consigning himself to defeat, he sighed and slumped even further against the wall, trying to imagine what prison life would be like. He soon jolted awake from his reverie as someone opened the door. Glancing up his face nearly did a double take, as a man was standing there clad in green, with a helmet concealing his face. What was even more astonishing was the fact that that weird man had opened the door, without a key. Realization hit like a ton of bricks, and he very nearly choked Jimbo—who was also sharing the same bewilderment at the man—as he clutched his hair in despair. They had to _pull_, not push…

**************************

Alerted by the shrill alarm, Videl Satan descended her yellow helicopter down onto the street below. Quickly climbing out she dashed towards the noise, casually thinking if The Great Saiya-Man had already reached the crime scene. It had been three weeks since the ill-fated warehouse bust, where she had nearly lost her innocence to a malevolent crime King Pin. Since then, The Great Saiya-Man had almost always showed up to a crime scene that she had been called upon, and disposed of the criminals along side her. What was worse, he displayed incredible abilities and—although she would never admit it—was a much better crime fighter than she could ever be. She scowled a little at the thought of him being better, irritated that in a few short weeks he had proven to be more capable than her in apprehending dangerous criminals. 

He had stolen her thunder, her sanctuary from worldly stress and her arrogant father. It was something she could vent her frustrations on—something that was completely legal to do so as well—other than her wide assortment of punching bags. They were there, but they didn't have that human touch to them, they didn't have the reality and satisfaction inherent with cleaning up city slime, something she could be proud of. It was something that would make her an individual, some distinct quality that she can call her own. Not a quality that people associated with her father, she was tired of dwelling in the recesses of her father's colossal shadow. Tired of being called the _daughter _of Mr. Satan, why couldn't she be just Videl Satan? 

Nearly everyone she met, or was acquainted with, regarded her as the _daughter_ of the champ, never an individual that could achieve on her own merit. Perhaps she should be appreciative at the amount of respect she received because of that fact, but she wasn't, because she didn't earn that respect. One thing that vexed her more than green helmeted superhero geeks was that she was not esteemed on her own merit. Volunteering to help police was one way for her to be different than her father, to earn some respect that wasn't always derived from what her father did but rather for the things _she_ did. Was it too much to ask to be treated as an individual, and not as a subsidiary of some arrogant commercial commodity? 

There was only one person that treated her like someone distinctly dissimilar than her dad, in fact, she felt somewhat special around him. Gohan: sweet, innocent and caring. Every time she thought about him a faint blush would grace her cheeks, and she felt herself being much more emotionally inclined in his presence. It was like she wanted to be _girly_ around him, whatever that means. Although she still retained some of her _bitchy_ attitude around him, it was only because she was increasingly inquisitive about him and wanted to get a more intimate knowledge of him, and that was the only way she knew to get some answers. Was he Saiya-Man? Maybe, although she couldn't quite find the missing link between them, she was getting increasingly convinced that they were one and the same. Speaking of Saiya-Man, he had just landed in front of a money exchange store from which the siren was being emitted. 

He opened the door and was just staring inside it, as she skidded to a halt beside him. She glared at him for a second, he just shrugging it off as a common occurrence, and then looked inside at the two miserable criminal specimens. They were slumped against the wall, a hint of disbelief evident in their tired demeanor, as they stared back at her. She smirked, it seemed these two had succeeded in apprehending themselves for the cops, making this scenario much less stressful.

"Ohayo Videl," Saiya-Man casually commented, still keeping his gaze on the two culprits. 

"Hmph, you couldn't stay home and hear about this on the news like the rest of the population could you?" That was as much of a greeting as he could expect, and he smiled a little at her continuing masquerade of annoyance.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood, decided to drop by."

"You ALWAYS decide to drop by, can't you leave some of the criminals for me?"

"I try Videl, I try. But I find myself worr—," he stopped in mid-sentence, grabbing his mouth as if fearing another embarrassing statement. 

"What were you about to say?" Videl was practically seething, who was he, to care about her? Who did he think he was?

"Oh nothing, nothing." Gohan—a.k.a Saiya-Man—stuttered rather clumsily, "I just said worrying about the crime-rate that's all!" He heaved a mental sigh of relief, partially satisfied at the feasibility of his lie.

"Yeah right, _Saiya-Man_," she practically spat that out, "You meant to say you were worried about ME!"

"No, n—," Gohan started to frantically deny, but much to his chagrin, Videl would have none of it.

"You save me ONE time, one thing that will NEVER happen again, and you get so conceited about your abilities!" She was advancing on Saiya-Man a menacing scowl set on her taught lips, whilst she brandished her arms about wildly, "To think of all the overbearing, arrogant men like YOU can go around thinking you're better than me just 'cuz your male!" With every progressive step she took, Gohan retreated, slowly backing away as one would do to a ferocious lion, or any piqued female for that matter. He soon found himself cornered in an alleyway, the wall on his back and a stench-infested dumpster towards his right, as Videl blocked any chance for escape. 

"I ought to jam a crowbar so far up you're a—." She was interrupted, thankfully, by several police sirens and the subsequent screeching of their tires as they skidded to a stop. The men in blue clambered out of their modified Crown Victorias, immediately investigating the crime scene. Several men rushed in to disable the alarm, which much to the neighborhood's dismay, was still ringing like an incessant school bell. 

Videl still glared daggers into Saiya-Man, as he held his arms up defensively, looking a little scared. With an arrogant "hmph", she spun on her heels to go inform the rather late police about the crime. As she walked up to them, she noticed that they were looking inside the store with some bewilderment.

"What's the problem?" She asked, thinking it was not something to fret upon.

"Well, miss, we have the video tape of the crime. The cashier is safe and sound, unscathed. No money has been actually removed from the cash register, and nothing looks like it has been damaged."

She sighed a little exasperated, "So? Last time I checked those were good things to happen in the aftermath of a crime."

He looked at her, still retaining that puzzled look, "Then were are the criminals?"

"What!?" All this time she thought that they had already been read their rights and were arrested, and would be sitting in one of the several cop cars present.

"Well, did you apprehend them or not? We thought that with _both _Saiya-Man and you on the scene, there was no way that they could escape."

"I don't need Saiya-Man," she snarled, causing the cop's eyes to widen a little, "Anyway, they were right here! Saiya-Man was blocking their entrance and that is when I showed up. We were both blocking their escape route, until I…" She paused as realization dawned on her, how could she be so stupid? "Oh…Oh…"

"Um, Miss Videl, is something wrong?" The cop fearfully asked, as if expecting her to bite his head off at any second. 

"Um…" She hung her head in shame, as she contemplated the consequences of her actions. Those criminals were allowed to commit an armed robbery with impunity, the fact that they didn't get anything didn't console her much, because the thought that they would attempt it again, and the next time, if she wasn't there, she would be responsible for their actions. She let them go, with her stupidity and pig-headedness. She was mad at herself, for the amount of unprofessionalism she displayed, even though she volunteered as a crime-fighter. She sucked in her breath, apparently making up her mind to own up to her mistakes. She would listen to the admonishments of the Chief, and would bravely face any punishment she would receive for her blatant negligence and the involuntary aiding and abetting of a criminal. 

"I…I'm sorr—"

"She's sorry, that she couldn't tell me in time." Saiya-Man interrupted, "I don't know why but I acted very stupid and it was because of my actions that those two got away. When Videl arrived I felt a pang of jealousy, so I intentionally started a fight in which I was the sole aggressor. I kept her distracted with my idiotic comments which allowed the two to escape. She might have stopped them if I wasn't blocking her line of sight. Consequently, she didn't know they escaped." Gohan couldn't believe that he could concoct such a feasible lie in such a short period of time, but for the sake of Videl, he did, because…he didn't know exactly why, but it was something he never experienced before.

Videl made a move to interject, but was cut off again by Saiya-Man, "I'm really very sorry," and then he turned to Videl, "I am shameful for my actions Miss, please forgive me." With that he blasted off into the night sky, leaving an astonished Videl in his wake. She stared up after him, trying to decipher his intentions. Where they genuine? They sure as hell were, he didn't want her to be blamed, but why?

"Man, I knew that Saiya-Man wasn't as good as he came off to be. Geez, the nerve, to strike up and argument, with _YOU_," the middle-aged copped quipped, a little contempt manifested in his tone.

Videl looked at him, and for some reason felt a sudden pang of anger, "SHUT UP, he did much more than you ever did you donut-eating FREAK!" She stomped her foot for added affect, then turned and ran towards her helicopter, not knowing what she was feeling at the moment.

***********************

He couldn't believe it, it couldn't be what it seemed to be. It must be an illusion, a tantalizing mirage. What he was currently seeing was Videl, the woman he thought to be most beautiful, clad in only a blue bikini, taking a dip in _his_ lake, or at least the lake he always takes a dip in. She swam to where the waterfall was, sexily washing her hair underneath it. With every massaging motion she did, as she ran her fingers through her wet hair, the more Gohan was entranced by this angel. For she could not be mortal, no one mortal could possess what she possessed; she must the purest of Creation, an angel.

After she was done with massaging her hair underneath the waterfall, she swam to the embankment where Gohan was standing. She slowly, almost teasingly, crept out of the watery depths of the lake and onto its adjoining grassy embankment. She stood to her full height, unraveling herself from her crouch, revealing her perfect figure to one spellbound Son Gohan. Looking at him temptingly, she walked towards him her hips swaying from side to side slowly hypnotizing him. She halted inches in front of him, her warm breath playing on his heaving chest. He just noticed that he too, was wearing a swimming costume, or just baggy shorts. He looked down at her face, his want clearly reflecting in his lustful eyes. She was perfect, the gentle contours of her body driving him deeper and deeper into infatuation. 

Her hands draped onto his shoulders seductively, clasping around his neck, as she searched his onyx eyes for emotion. Her wet hair, which was slicked backwards, coupled with her astonishing body and revealing bikini made her out to be the perfect swimsuit model. He gazed back down at her, arms instinctively snaking around her slim waist. __

_ Oh man, her skin is so soft, so smooth…_ _Perfect…_

She stood on her tiptoes, lips parted slightly as she closed the distance between the two. In response, Gohan bent downwards, assisting her in closing the gap, as they both shut their eyes and enjoined into a gentle kiss. Her lips were particularly soft, a faint scent of honeydew emanating from her mouth. Gohan, although he tried to suppress it, finally lost control over his desire and hungrily ravaged her parted mouth. In response, Videl also proportionately deepened the kiss as they stood half-naked their mouths interlocked. Gohan was starting to turn a little blue, feeling a distinct pain in his chest like it was tightly constricted, but before he could ascertain the reason for it Videl abruptly pulled away, chest heaving methodically. He soon realized his problem, and following Videl's example started to greedily gulp in large quantities of air. 

"Videl…"

"Shhh…" She put her finger to his lips an earnest twinkle in her sparkling eyes. She grasped his hand and led him, a little too seductively, towards the shade of a giant tree. Gohan couldn't take another tantalizing sway of her waist, and again zealously lunged for her. She embraced him with anticipation, jumping on his torso and wrapping both her arms and legs around him, as he navigated both of them to the shady grass beneath. They both resumed kissing passionately, and Gohan felt her smooth cold fingers caress his back. He too was groping her back as his need for her became painfully apparent, until it was time to breathe again. Gasping for breath he looked down at her beautiful face, casually brushing away a dark bang of wet hair. 

"Gohan, do you love me?" Her eyes were looking up at him, keenly anticipating his response.

Gohan felt a warm calm come over his body, his erratic ki steadying at the question posed, and he replied without even the slightest ounce of doubt obscuring his answer, "More than anything in the world."

She smiled, and he returned it with an even wider smile, as she cooed out softly, almost in a whisper, "Then make love to me."

He lowered himself until his lips made contact with her neck, placing slow sucking kisses down and around its vicinity. Videl moaned in obvious pleasure at Gohan's ministrations, her hands clenching his spiky, but ample, hair. He reached down on to her back, fiddling with the strap that obstructed his view of her hardening breasts, until he ripped at it impatiently, his desire completely saturating him. Soon both bodies were writhing in pleasure, as they both satisfied their lustful desires…

Gohan woke with a start, sweat pouring down his face and back. 

_NO!!! Only a dream, only a F—KING DREAM! _Now Gohan rarely used expletives, but any reasonable person would instantly empathize with the teen. His face reddened rapidly, even though everyone was asleep, as he remembered fragments of his sleep-induced hallucination. He looked at the large lump protruding out of his boxer shorts, a darkened splotch spreading on its tip, tarnishing the fabric. His blush didn't recede in time, it only grew, and he came to a new realization about himself. He had just had his first nocturnal emission…

********************************

She was there, Videl, sitting as usual on the top of the school building waiting for the bell to ring. With her feet dangling over the terrace wall, and her hands clamped on to the precipice for support, she stared out at the cloudless sky. She seemed completely blissful, in a state of utter relaxation, as she gazed out towards the world beyond.

"Hi Videl," Gohan said, as he had just landed on the roof behind her, carefully making sure that she didn't—or anyone else for that matter—see him land on the roof. 

She turned her head and glanced at Gohan, acknowledging his presence with a curt nod. She then went back to staring at the vast City ahead of her, seemingly entranced by it. Gohan hopped on to the ledge himself, sitting beside her, trying his utmost not to remember the erotic dream he had had about her.

_I can't believe I though of her like that. If she found out she would kill me! Or worse yet, she would kill me slowly, like starvation…_ He shuddered at the thought, and decided to temporarily forget about the embarrassing incident.

"You look deep in thought, anything up?" Gohan asked, and waited patiently, but the only response he got was a deep meaningful stare, as her beautiful azure eyes gazed at him, and then she turned her head back to its previous position. Trying to figure out the reason behind her recent spell of reticence, he cocked his head to the side as he studied her features. Her dark wavy hair was, as always, separated into two pigtails, the ends of them which fluffed out considerably. She had silky smooth skin, which looked soft to touch; oh what Gohan wouldn't give just to get to run his fingertips over her creamy skin. Her eyes, the aspect of her face that captivated him without fail, were sparkling blue, a somewhat ethereal combination of blue and white. 

Oblivious to Gohan's scrutiny, Videl was also lost deep in thought, her deliberation centered upon two individuals—who she presumed to be one and the same—the same individual currently seated beside her. 

Why? Well let us consider the pertinent information we have regarding that notion. Whenever she had been called up by the Chief, Gohan—as she later found out by Erasa—had _always_ asked to go to the washroom immediately after she left. Coincidence you say? It may have been, if it had been committed twice or, for argument's sake, even thrice, but every time without fail only fuelled her suspicion even more. 

He had shown unusual dexterity in Physical Education, her suspicion explicitly resting upon his Olympic high jump to retrieve a fly-ball, and his equally astonishing return throw, which charred the brown leather of the unfortunate third-baseman. 

He eats too much, way too much. He can do fifty push-ups without breaking a sweat, he can hold two buckets of bricks and show no signs of exhaustion, something is very wrong with this picture…

Before she could analyze those thoughts any further, the first bell rang, signaling the official inception of the school day. Briefly sighing, she stepped of the terrace wall and made her way back towards the stairs. Gohan looked at her worriedly, convinced that something was bothering her. 

I hope it's not Saiya-man, I've had enough close calls to last me a lifetime.

How cruel fate can be sometimes, especially when administering a certain demi-Saiya-jin. 

(A/N- If James Cameron can get away by showing Winslet's tits, and the fact that DiCaprio kept banging her like a salvation army drum all over the titanic, and still call it "pg-13", then I think my little dream sequence comfortably rested in that category. Anyway, I'm not completely sure about adding lemons in subsequent chapters, but it may change if you can convince me otherwise.)

"We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?"

** -Jean Cocteau (1889 - 1963)**


	6. Beyond the Murky Emotional Haze

Beyond the Murky Emotional Haze

"The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart."

**Saint Jerome (342 AD - 420 AD)**

Gohan was seated in his first period class, literature, as usual next to a very bubbly Erasa. Videl's previous antics hadn't eased up the anxiety in him one bit; rather, he was beginning to think it was one of those "silent" phases of women. A shrewd former monk had, much to his reluctance, made him somewhat knowledgeable in the art of analyzing women, and all their actions. It is a subject to be broached circumspectly as you must take careful steps—something you would do if walking on the rim of a volcano, which could erupt at any given time—to ensure a painless discovery. Women seem to seek refuge in two states when vexed—especially if it is by their mate; one of them is to bust an aneurysm and launch a steady stream of accusations accentuated by a piercing tone. The other, the more dangerous of the two, is the implementation of the "silent" treatment, in other words, when a male pushes her patience too far, you get an abrupt change of punishment; silence. Personally I believe it is better to expend the little extra energy required for the silent treatment, but opinions are what they are; merely opinions.

_Man I hope Videl isn't pissed at me, because she sure is silent today. What did I do? How come I never know what I did wrong? How come this stuff always happens to me? Geez, I'll never understand women._

"GOHAN!"

"Uhh…yes Erasa?" 

"Were you even listening to me?" She looked at him, irritated at his attention span, or lack thereof.

"Sure I was, just some things on my mind, that's all." He replied, the notorious grin and head-rub quickly coming into action.

"Well, as I was _saying,"_ she gave him a glare which almost did his mother justice, "I think the new Ralph Lauren Fashion Show was a little too much, you know what I mean?" Gohan just nodded along, paying absolutely no heed to what had been said, still pondering over Videl.

"Man, Erasa, can you please shut up?" Sharpener was literally banging his head repeatedly on his desk, as if that would somehow slow Erasa down.

"Hmph, Sharpener, you wouldn't know fashion if it came right up to you and bit you in the ass, you...you...ASS!" She heaved, her bubbly mood momentarily dissipating, as annoyance and irritation replaced it.

"Err...very smart Erasa, applause please..." Sharpener commented, obviously thinking that his sarcastic retort was of the utmost hilarity, and when noticing no comforting smiles, or even encouraging snickers, he resumed his pouting. 

Before Erasa and him could engage into anymore bitter quarrels, the teacher arrived, Gohan not knowing if it was a blessing or a curse, and started with the day's lesson.

**************************************

Lunch had arrived, and Gohan decided it was best to make up with Videl now before the "silent" treatment got too much out of hand. He still didn't know what he did that was wrong, or anything he had done that would irritate Videl as it had, but something was bothering her, and he was absolutely sure it was him. He had a knack for that sort of thing, especially with Videl...even his alter ego couldn't be saved from that tendency.

She was walking a little ahead of him, moving ever so gracefully on her cat-like legs, heading for the courtyard outside. He quickened his pace, and soon caught up to her as she still had that vacant stare plastered on her face.

"I'm sorry," he said, a little ashamed that he hadn't said it earlier.

She looked at him, her cerulean eyes scrunching up in perplexity, "What?"

Gohan inhaled deeply, then went on with his apology, "I said I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For whatever it was I did that made you mad." 

She looked at him curiously, then giggled, much to his relief, "What made you think I was mad at you?" 

"You were giving me the silent treatment all morning today. Of all the four classes we had since the morning you hadn't said one word to me. Not even in the morning on the terrace."

"And you thought I was mad at you because of that?"

"When someone doesn't, or refuses to, speak to you it usually means they are mad, and when a woman does it, then that almost always is the case."

"Did you happen to notice that I hadn't said a word to any other person in school all day?"

"Err...umm...no...I guess..." She looked at him with a bemused expression, as he continued to stutter through his lines, suspiciously like Saiya-Man, "I guess I was worried so much about the fact that you were mad at me, I didn't notice." He smiled sheepishly, hands habitually rubbing the back of his head.

Though Gohan didn't know it, this brief display of his concern brightened Videl's mood completely, and she jabbed at his shoulder playfully, "Man Gohan, I don't believe you. Most guys would go to hell and back before uttering an apology, and you apologized for something that you didn't even do!" Deep inside, Videl was absolutely glowing, the fact that Gohan cared for her enough to fret all day about her was pretty flattering. She mentally winced, at these girlish thoughts that invaded her brain from time to time. Where were they coming from?

"Heh, no I was just worried. So you're not mad? Then why so silent?"

She looked at him, still retaining her dazzling smile, "Don't worry about it, just some things concerning home. You know dad, and all his trips." She fibbed, not wanting to allude to the fact that she suspected him of being her cause for annoyance these last few weeks, and her cause for attraction as well.

Gohan nodded, and both of them walked over to the giant oak tree, where the deeply shadowed park bench dwelled. They sat down, as Videl took out her lunch that was neatly packed in a brown paper bag, while Gohan unleashed the rather abundant contents of his capsule. Still gawking at the amount of food this boy consumed, Videl started on her own peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Why do we have to always eat here? It's so gloomy!" Erasa complained, as she slumped into the seat beside Videl.

"That's cuz nerd boy here eats so freaking much." Sharpener answered, not bothering to look at Gohan's reaction. 

"Hey! It's not that bad!" Gohan cried indignantly, feigning emotional pain.

"He's right Gohan, you may very well have the entire GNP* of Ethiopia over there," Videl remarked, eyeing the overflowing amounts of food piled on the table. She casually reached over into Gohan's pile and retrieved one of the many sandwiches, munching down on it happily.

"Hey! That was mine…" Gohan pouted a little, remorsefully gazing at the remnants of his sandwich, which Videl popped into her mouth a satisfied smile creeping into her face. 

She smirked at Gohan's pout, "Oh shut up, I bet you wouldn't even notice that it was ever gone if you didn't see me take it. Besides, you know I can't resist your mom's food."

**********************

The day went by pleasantly for Gohan, for Videl had mysteriously ceased her spell of reticence and had spent the day jovially conversing with him about various things. Their friendship was already blooming, as Videl slowly unraveled the enigma that is Gohan; she became aware that studies were not the only thing concerned with Gohan, for he had some amazing physical attributes and was the kindest, sweetest, cutest…wait a minute…these are Videl's emotions, correct?

The final bell had sounded, and they could here some faint exclamations of "Freedom!" being yelled somewhere out yonder, most probably some juvenile freshmen retaining junior high idiosyncrasies. Gohan was rummaging through his locker, shoving the necessary materials for tonight's homework in his backpack. Videl had already acquired her materials, and was leaning idly against her locker.

"Gohan, you still didn't tell me how you manage to commute four hours everyday." It was more of a question than a statement, and Videl _always_ receives answers for her questions. 

Gohan racked his brain, praying for something to interfere like it had the previous times she had asked him about it, but this time it looked like his luck had ran out. "Um…I use the monorail to the last station, and catch the rural bus." He didn't even know if any bus even ventured so far, but conversely he was pretty she didn't either.

"Wow, must be tough."

"Yeah, but it's great to finally go to school and not be home-schooled anymore. It's nice to have friends, and to have you—," he resisted the urge to clamp his mouth shut, and frantically tried to cover up his blunder, "To have you to talk to!" He said, his tone a little too high for comfort.

She looked at him suspiciously, trying to discern the authenticity of his statement, but let it slide since she was in a good mood today, after all, she had made Gohan worry sick about her, and that could only be a good sign.

"Ok, but I'll give you a ride in my 'copter if you want, it's no big deal." She remarked, as they stepped outside on to the street, walking over to an isolated area so Videl can decapsulate her chopper.

"Oh no, that's okay."

"Come on, it'll be fun." She threw her capsule down, and seconds later her yellow chopper appeared in the dispersing smoke. 

"No really, I need to—," she stopped as someone had rudely bumped into her right arm, causing her bag to fall to the ground. She looked at her bag, and then back at the impeding fellow, who was pretty tall and muscular, but ugly looking just the same. 

She waited patiently for an apology, but assuredly that was long in the coming. 

"What are you looking at doll face?" He jeered, showing a row of crooked yellowish teeth. Maybe he was trying to commit suicide, or maybe he escaped from a psychiatric ward, but he was going to get a sure ass-whipping regardless of his obvious mental instability.

"Doll face? I'll show you exactly what this face can do!" With that she quickly lunged at him, but Gohan was too swift and caught her by the waist restraining her with ease, as she struggled frantically to get free.

"Let me go! I'm gonna jam my foot so far up his ass that he'd need a crowbar to wedge it out the next morning!" But as hard as she tried, she couldn't pry Gohan's arms off of her waist, which was surprising because she was the second strongest person after her dad, wasn't she? 

After recovering from his initial shock, the malevolent retard started to hurl out even more degrading comments. 

"I think you'll give a sharp bang for the buck won't you? How much do you cost anyway?"

Gohan nearly let go of Videl and bashed this guy three ways to Sunday, but restrained his surging anger for the sake of his identity, because the ruckus had attracted quite a huge crowd. Videl, however, took advantage of his momentary lapse of judgment and burst free from her human (saiya-jin?) shackles and buried her foot in the fool's gut, causing him to double over in agony. She raised her elbow high, apparently to knock him hard enough on his bald head to render him unconscious, had Gohan not interceded and grabbed Videl by the waist again. He clamped down on her and lifted her up high above his head, pivoting on his heels to execute a full 180, then setting her back on the floor, his—and consequently Videl's—back facing their adversary. 

Videl was still shouting threats and vulgar obscenities at him, the comment about her being a zealous harlot infuriating her to no end. Chants of "Fight" and "Go Videl" were predominant amongst the mass of students gathered, as none of them attempted, or rather dared, to dissolve the fight civilly. Gohan was still restraining a peeved Videl, as her opponent struggled to his full posture still painfully clutching his abdomen. He walked up to Gohan and smashed him hard on the center of his spinal cord, which would have probably paralyzed any normal person given the size of their adversary, but Gohan had felt practically nothing. The crowds of spectators collectively gasped at the incident, but were even more astonished to see the large man awkwardly clutching both his abdomen and fist, while Gohan still held Videl by the waist seemingly unhurt. 

Realizing the folly of his actions, Gohan immediately crumpled to the floor in a delayed attempt to masquerade injury. Fortunately for him, he knew how it felt to be punched hard by someone quite well, and was able to pull of a perfect face of agony. Videl hadn't seen the intensity of the blow—due primarily to her frustrated yelling and constant struggle to free herself—but when she turned around she saw Gohan on his knees, hands on back, in obvious pain. She immediately squatted down beside him face creased with worry, her hand instinctively going towards his back. 

"Gohan are you alright. Gohan!" She was panicking now, fearing the worst, she hadn't seen the blow, but she sure as hell heard it, and it wasn't anything pretty.

She put her hands on his back, trying to massage the pain away, but Gohan's hands kept getting in the way. With his head down, buried in his chest, Gohan wasn't hiding his face because of the pain, but because he was blushing like mad. She was embracing him, massaging his back with worry! 

"Ow, I think I broke my f—king wrist!" The oaf wailed miserably, still clutching his bruised knuckles. 

"Gohan!" 

"It's ok Videl, I'm fine," he said, getting up slowly, still masquerading a little pain, and when he looked at her face, full of worry and a little disbelief, he reassured her, "It's ok, it doesn't hurt anymore." 

He stood straight up, and turned around, gazing at the frantic goon gravely. He slowly walked over to him, Videl looking on in incredulity, and grabbed him by the shirt collar as a fearful look overcame the goon. He stared at him hard, his eyes reflecting utter contempt—something he had nearly forgotten to do these past seven years—as he slowly, almost inaudibly said, "Get out of here, and don't ever even raise an eye towards her again, and I'll let you live." His grim demeanor betrayed no sympathy, no compassion, as it delivered the ultimatum. 

"Alright break it up, break it up!" The school principal waded through the thick masses of the crowd to see Son Gohan, one of his best students, holding a roughed up man by the shirt collar. Gohan quickly let go of the goon upon seeing the principal, but it was too late, for he had already saw him, and the goon chose this precise time for his departure. Without as much as a squeak, he bolted through the crowd and disappeared in the nearest alley, not doubt to merge with his kind again. 

"Son GOHAN! I never, what is the meaning of this?" The principal glared, at him first, then at Videl, who was still standing there dumbstruck at the turn of events. "BOTH OF YOU IN MY OFFICE!" Without even attempting to hear an explanation, the principal turned and strode sternly back into the building. A nervous Gohan and a weary Videl trailing not too far behind. 

************************

"Um, Videl, I…sorry," Gohan kept his gaze on the hardwood floor, trying to avoid her glare at all costs. But contrary to his belief, she wasn't angry at him, or even irritated, just a bit flattered and tired. 

"Look, Gohan, we went over this. Stop apologizing for things you didn't do." She said to him, worn and haggard after the turn of the day's events. 

"But I did do this, I got us trapped in this detention hall for three hours!" After pleading their case as innocently as possible, both Videl and Gohan got off with only three hours of detention as their punishment, since they weren't the aggressors of the fight. But regardless, it was forbidden to fight in and around school property, so they couldn't escape this act with impunity. 

"No you didn't, what you did though, was very sweet." She said sincerely, watching as Gohan nearly squirmed under her gaze.

"Heh, how was it sweet? I got you detention!"

"If you hadn't stopped me, then I would have gotten more than a three hour detention and you know it. You stuck up for me, took a punch for me, and even shared the blame with me, when nothing he said was meant for you."

"I was just…um…jus—," he tried to find the right phrase, fearful of her wrath if he tickled her ego.

"Just helping me, I know. You're a real friend. Some people are friends just for the interaction, just so they have someone to talk to and do stuff with from time to time. And then there are the select few, who become a real friend come good times or bad, ready to stick by you no matter the case. You're one of those people Son Gohan." She trailed off, and then said in the tiniest of whispers that no human ear could possibly detect, "You're special…"

He blushed at her last comment, both cursing and enjoying his far sensitive Saiya-jin hearing. "It was nothing Videl, besides, I did it for the guy, I didn't want him to be eating out of a plastic tube for the rest of his life now did I?" He said smiling mischievously.

Videl smirked back, "Oh and you know I would have done it too!"

"If I hadn't stopped you."

Her smirk grew wider, trying to make the best of the detention she continued to play along, "I could of broke out, easily. I just didn't want to unnecessarily hurt you." She drawled, eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Oh no you couldn't!"

"Oh yes," and the time flew by, both engaged in playful banter, until they had done their required three hours and stood up to go home.

*************************

Outside, parked in front of the school building, stood a yellow colored helicopter. As he anticipated, she had forgotten that she had decapsulated it in the heat of the moment, and it was time to initiate the first phase of his plan. Surreptitiously approaching the vehicle, making sure he was out of sight, he sauntered around it like a wispy shadow. He was in and out faster than a blink of an eye, tinkering with the machinery a bit, and zipped off towards the same alley as the big goof. 

Quietly entering it, face still masked by that ever present shadow, he walked up to the said goon, who was slumped against the wall awkwardly holding his fist. Without so much as a greeting, he dropped a green wad on his lap, and as the goon looked down to see what it was—a wad of money—and then looked back up the elusive shadow-man was gone, no where to be seen. 

*****************************

"Um, Videl, you forgot your 'copter outside."

She fished around in her pocket for the capsule, and noticed that her chopper was standing on the side of the road. She must have forgotten it there when the principal crashed their little discrepancy with some two-bit thug.

"Yeah, guess I did."

Gohan glanced at his watched, and immediately a wave of panic passed over him. "Oh man, look at the time! It's seven! My mom is gonna bust one major aneurysm on me!" He was about to start dashing for a suitable place to transform, but Videl stopped him.

"Hey, I'll drop you off. This time you _can't _refuse, because there's no way you can get home faster than my chopper, so get in." She said those last three words with some authority, glowering at the young Saiya-jin, seemingly trying to discourage any refusals.

_Oh man, not now Videl. Damn it, she's giving me the death glare. If I am to keep her friendship, than there's only one way._ He winced at the thought of what his mom would do to him when he came home that late, but that was later on, so he'd deal with it later on.

"Fine, thanks." 

"Don't mention it!" Her previously stern demeanor suddenly changed into a sweet jovial one, as she literally hopped towards her jet.

Gohan sweat-dropped, trying to determine why she was so happy about their trip.

_Must be something. Better stay sharp, she's definitely got something planned._

***************************

The trip went rather smoothly, contrary to what Gohan was imagining, and Videl stayed pretty much enjoyable the whole trip. They conversed upon various topics, Gohan getting know things about this girl he could only begin to imagine. She was, like any other human, not insusceptible to emotional pain, even though she tried her hardest to propagate such an image in school. He felt like what he befriended in school, all the casual chatter and things they did in these three weeks, was all but the tip of the iceberg. She was much deeper, had more to her than egotism and pride. She was prone to be very clandestine, locking up her emotions that Gohan was just beginning to unlock. Kind of a two-way street of secret sharing, although, both would prefer it to be one-way.

"My father wasn't always like that, I mean…you wouldn't know." She suspected him for being another one of those devout worshippers of Mr. Satan, clinging on to his every word and not doubting him for things he claimed that would seem preposterous to any rational human being.

"You're father wasn't always what?" She just looked on ahead, pretending to be concentrating on driving, "Trust me Videl, I'll understand."

She glanced at him, and his face was that of solemn sincerity, and in that moment of weakness she confided into him what she wouldn't have to her own kin.

"He wasn't so, conceited. And arrogant, and didn't think the world revolved around him. At one point in time, his world revolved around _us_, my mother and I." Her forlorn look nearly broke Gohan's heart, he couldn't see her like this, hurt, and afraid, but he continued to listen.

"I don't know why I'm saying that, but I am. I always tell myself, that I'm strong, that I'm independent, but everyone needs someone sometimes. I…I can't tell him anything Gohan, not anymore. Before we used to be more open, I used to confide in him a lot," she laughed bitterly, "I guess his girl grew up too fast, maybe he doesn't want to deal with high-school problems. I always had this nagging suspicion that parents love their children more when they're babies, or at least children. Maybe, in this case, I'm right."

"It would be different though, much more different, if mom was still here." She tried her hardest to force back the small drops of liquid she felt welling up in her eyes.

She was resolute, she wouldn't cry. "After her, my dad's life was empty. That hurt, a lot, to me, because I thought he still had me, I thought we still had each other. When mommy died, it was bad and I cried a lot, but I needed him more than ever then. I needed him to be both my parents, I was only ten, I couldn't face the world all alone at ten." A small drop of water trailed down her left eye, luckily, Gohan being seated on the right partially blocked his view of that. She quickly pretended to brush a bang of hair out of her eyes, wiping the offending tear with it. 

"But he was devastated, and I guess something was very empty inside him that I couldn't fill up. So I watched him with his life, by the sidelines, as a spectator, and he pretty much ignored me in the time of need. Of course he was there, monetary wise, and for calling me names he'd think was cute. But never did he embrace me, hold me close, you know, to tell me it was fine, that everything was going to be alright. That's why I maintained this rough exterior, if I was alone, then I better be well prepared to face it alone. So after her death, he immersed himself in flaunting, and I immersed myself in martial arts. His ego was already petty big because he was the fighting champ at some federation, but after Cell, it inflated faster than an airbag. That was it, that filled the void in his life. Not me."

She was still valiantly fighting back the onslaught of tears, and almost whispered, "I wish, sometimes, that he hadn't beaten Cell."

Gohan stared at her, feeling immense guilt, because, although he never considered that anyone could be hurt by Mr. Satan taking credit for his battle, he never expected it to be the very person he was falling in love with. 

"Sorry, I'm sorry." He wasn't saying it because he felt sorry for _her_, he was actually apologizing for his—now irresponsible—decision to let Satan take credit. 

_I hurt her. Oh my God, I destroyed her childhood. Her life._

But before he could accurately assess his guilt-trip, the chopper lurched violently, power systems shutting down, and before Videl could discern what was wrong, they plummeted earthwards at break-neck speeds.

"Shit! Gohan!" Videl was frantically trying to unbuckle her seatbelt while the plane was practically vertically nose-diving. 

"Videl!" In his panic, Gohan reached over and yanked the seatbelt right of the wall, setting Videl free. Before she had time to express her amazement at his strength, he smashed his side door with both his feet, propelling the now unhinged door far away. Grabbing Videl by the arm, he jumped, and oriented himself so he was holding Videl's waist while they were falling. 

She squeezed her eyes shut, because all she could see was the sky, Gohan was underneath her pointing her face straight in the air.

Gohan, not noticing that her eyes were closed, spun her around and smothered her in his chest, passing it off as a desperate attempt at a hug. She didn't mind, as she clutched his neck tightly burying her face in his chest, not wanting to look down at their imminent death. Acting quickly, he slowly manipulated his ki to propel them sideways, not fast enough for Videl to notice, but slowly and steadily towards an isolated lake on the right. 

She was still embracing him tightly, not wanting to scream, not wanting to look, just glad that maybe her death wasn't so bad after all, she would die in _his_ arms. Optimism dawns at the most awkward times, does it not?

With all the g-forces acting on them, and the constant blur of wind partially deafening her, coupled with her stomach nearly jammed inside her throat, Videl didn't notice that they were plummeting, with Gohan's ki, diagonally to the right. 

Bracing himself for impact, Gohan spread himself as wide as possible, as to effectively shield every single part of Videl's anatomy with his own, he even managed to get his legs to cover her legs. For he knew, due to his vigorous studying, that to impact water from their distance and speed, it would feel like a concrete slab. He couldn't go into a diver's posture right away, that would leave Videl to die, and was pretty sure that this plan would not hurt her the slightest bit, and it would only manage to scratch minor bruises on his back. 

Videl kept hearing the deafening blur of the wind rushing past her, or rather, that she was rushing past _it_. Before she knew it, she heard a distinct "slap" like that of someone falling on hard floor from a hefty distance. Immediately everything blurred, she came to a violent stop, decelerating from break-neck speeds to practically nothing in milliseconds, but fortunately she felt no pain, only felt blurry. She finally realized that she was immersed in water, deducing that from all the air bubbles escaping to the surface from her mouth. She was so tired, so weary, maybe she would take a quick nap, just for a few minutes…then everything blackened.

**********************************

"Videl, wake up, Videl."

"Mmmm…" She stirred a little, her beautiful face was at peace with itself just a few moments before, in her unconscious state, but now it scrunched up in irritation.

"Videl…" Gohan was really worried, thoughts that she was hurt continually revolving in his mind, making his head spin.

"Wha…What happened," she managed to croak out, her hands rubbing her forehead.

"We fell, luckily, there was water _beneath_ us." No use alluding to the fact that they probably traveled at least a kilometer east within their descent. Using his superior intelligence he had flown over to the ruined chopper that was about a kilometer west from where they were, while Videl was still unconscious, and flew back with it leaving the charred remains in the lake.

Videl sat up, rubbing her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness. "Why is it so dark?"

"This is the forest, look around you," he gestured with his arms, "Trees everywhere, the night and the shady trees make it very dark."

She was soaking wet, absolutely drenched, making her clothes weigh much more than they previously did. Shivering in the night's cold, she shakily stood up, Gohan helping her. 

She looked at him, a brief wave of concern passing over her, as she remembered bits and pieces of their frightful fall. "My god Gohan, are you hurt?!"

He winced; this was going to be hard to explain, "Yeah a little, my back is killing me." Well, it wasn't a complete lie, his back _was_ aching. A little exaggeration never hurt anyone.

"Let me look at it," she said, walking behind him and tugging on his shirt.

"No, no, it's…ok…no really…" Gohan was attempting to move around in circles, trying to make Videl lose her grip, but to no avail.

"Shh…stay still will ya," she yanked his shoulders hard, stopping his frantic squirming, and lifted up the back of his shirt. Although it was dark—since Gohan had placed her under some trees away from the lake—the moon still offered some illumination as it reflected eerily off the serene lake waters. She marched him over to the side of the lake, in hopes of some more light, and nearly gasped. 

His back was very muscular, highly defined but not bulky. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen a well-defined back before this, she thought they simply didn't exist. There were angry red welts across his back, a few cuts and purplish bruises scattered here and there, but he didn't walk awkwardly and bent down just fine. How astonishing it would be, to first see a bookworm rip a seatbelt right of its casing, and then have a severely bruised back and not show signs of pain? Obviously, she hadn't seen saiya-jin's severely bruised, for if she did, she would understand why this hadn't bothered him much.

"You're hurt, bad,' she ran her hand over his back sending shivers up his spine, "Does it hurt?" 

"Only a little, but if you keep doing that, something else is gonna start to hurt soon."

She was confused for a moment, but then spotting her hand on his bare back, she quickly retrieved it, her face turning tomato red. Luckily for her, it was night, and the visibility was pretty poor.

"Where are we?" She looked around, and besides the breathtaking scenery—the moon light shimmering on the placid lake—all she could see was a highly concentrated assortment of trees surrounding the scenic lake.

"Um, we're pretty far from my home. We've been flying for 3 and three quarter hours, which means we still had one quarter of an hour of flight left. Our approximate average velocity, neglecting headwind, was about 100 km/h (60 mph). Therefore, we still have around 25 kilometers to walk, around 3 hours."

Videl sweat-dropped, it seemed Gohan had converted into nerd mode again. A crisp North wind was starting up, making Videl shiver even more. She sat down a little forlorn, she was cold, and hungry, and had to walk three whole damned hours.

"Videl, maybe we should be going, it's getting real late." He noticed her shivering, the wind was starting to intensify from a gentle breeze to a relatively strong one, and with their dampened clothes it was chilling to the bone. Of course, Gohan had the distinct advantage, he could just keep warm with his ki, but Videl…

Videl was just sitting there, hugging her legs, trying to retain her body heat. "Soon, G…Gohan…so…c…col…cold…" She said, teeth chattering.

Gohan sat down beside her, looking at her strangely, trying to decide what to do. She was just staring out towards the lake, trying to admire the view, but in her current state, that was a long shot.

After a vigorous mental debate, Gohan decided that he had to help her. He had momentarily dropped his ki, just to see how cold it really was with damp clothes, and even he couldn't fight off the urge to chatter his teeth. If he left her damp and cold for prolonged periods of time, she would undoubtedly catch pneumonia. 

"Come over here," he reached his arm out towards her balled up body. She quickly reared back, something akin to fear in her eyes, she couldn't help it, but it was an instinctive action. But when she finally assessed the situation rationally, she concluded that this was Gohan, and he would never do anything to hurt her.

"It's…o…ok…" She managed to say between bouts of chattering, still leaning away from him. He reached over and gently grasped her arm, pulling her towards him. 

"No…Go…Gohan…I'm…fin—," but despite her protests, Gohan calmly pulled her towards him and placed her in the space between his legs, as he spread them out a little. Encircling his broad arms around her shivering body, he held her tight, and close, sharing body heat—or in this case ki—and rested his chin on her shoulder. 

Videl knew that although she would get a little bit warmer, and it wouldn't be by much, but she wasn't going to complain any further. A few moments later though, a strange feeling overcame her, something warm and fuzzy inside her, like she was under her blankets in bed, safe and secure. Soon she didn't feel the slightest bit cold, and she relaxed a little, resting her head on Gohan's chest, finally being able to appreciate the breathtaking lake before her. Tired and drowsy, she let her heavy eyelids rest for a while, and before she knew it, slumber overtook her.

Gohan felt her breathing become deep and even, her diaphragm moving her chest up and down rhythmically, and stroked the side of her face softly. He was experiencing a little bit of heaven, because he was holding a sleeping angel, beautiful and pure. Taking every precaution, he gently rose to his feet while shifting her around so he cradled her with both arms, pressing the side of her face against his chest. Still keeping the ki shield around them both, and intensifying it a little, he flew off towards his house, careful not to fly too fast and wake her. 

Half an hour later he arrived at his dome shaped house, the lights were all off except one, it being almost midnight. He carried his precious cargo up to the front door, when he felt a familiar ki rushing towards it. His mother came out, furiously brandishing her frying pan in one hand and her mouth widening as if she was about to scream at him, when she noticed the bundle in his arms. 

"Wha…what happened?" She said softly, all pretense of anger replaced by worry.

"She had an accident, no time to explain right now mom, but get some clean sheets and a blanket on my bed, she'll be sleeping here tonight."

Chi-Chi nodded and rushed inside, Gohan wearily following her towards his room. When he reached there, his mother already had the sheets in place and a sleeping Goten in her arms. She took Goten with her towards her room, appropriately leaving the entire room for Videl. He had intensified his ki heat earlier because he wanted to dry her clothes, and sure enough, although a little stiff, they were dry enough to be slept in. 

He gently placed the sleeping beauty on to his bed, pulling the sheets up to her neck protectively. He just squatted there for a little while, on the bedside, gazing at her peaceful form. He hadn't really thought much of his feelings for Videl before, only thinking that he had really liked her. But now, looking at her, after all that had happened in the hectic day, and of all that she had shared with him, he came to a sudden realization, that this wasn't just mere attraction; this was, and only could be, his first true love. 

He stooped over her, and softly placed a kiss on her forehead, whispering, "I love you." Then he left, his destination, the couch, to get a good night's rest. 

*GNP-Gross National Product

(A/N- Longest chapter yet, but rest assured, they ain't gettin' no love any time soon.)

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone."

-Anthony Burgess 


	7. Videl’s Frontier: Breakthrough

Videl's Frontier: Breakthrough

"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets."

-Andre Malraux 

_What in the hell was that blasted bright bulb doing? Why is it so sharp, and piercing? Why can't I resist it? How can I make it go away?_

The most viable solution, of course, was to shift her position; and shift her position she did, only to make the piercing brightness intensify much more, adding to her vexation. Clasping her eyelids shut as tight as possible, the young woman tried her utmost to literarily _bore_ the light to death, rationalizing that if it got bored, it'd leave her alone. Eventually, she came to a disappointed realization that light did not possess sentience, and therefore, did not know how to be bored. Sighing lethargically, she pushed off her covers and swung herself around into a sitting position on her bed. 

_Wait a minute…bed? How in the world did Gohan manage to get something so soft in the middle of a goddamn forest?_

Rapidly blinking away the sleep still threatening to engulf her once more, she stared out at her new surroundings. Awkwardly, there was not one thing that she laid her eyes upon that would give any indication that she was stranded in the middle of a dense forest. In fact, her surroundings were eerily familiar to a bedroom, a cozy one at that too.

_Where the hell am I?_

Deciding to assuage her perplexity, she walked around the room, observing the many items scattered throughout it. It was of an acceptable size, not too constricting and yet not too large, as was her own bedroom. Sometimes she felt as if her room was too empty, despite the fact that it was well furnished, because it seemed extremely ridiculous to house one person in such a huge structure; it amplified her emotional loneliness all the more, constantly reminding her of what fate had served her. 

A wooden chest of drawers and a computer table, minus the computer, lined the wall adjacent to the bed. She supposed that it would be more appropriate to call it a writing desk, but obvious provisions were made for a computer, such as a space for the monitor and a sliding slab designed to accommodate the keyboard. Clothes were strewn about on top of the desk's chair counterpart, and some were scattered randomly on the desk itself. Two sliding doors opposite the desk marked the closet, which also had clothes lazily discarded in and about its vicinity. 

Damn, if this is Gohan's room, then he is a big time slob! Wait a minute, this can't be his room, cuz we had an hours walk ahead of us. This must be some house he found on the way…but how did he get me here? Didn't I fall asleep before?

Those dangerous questions—for a teenage Saiya-jin at least—were temporarily put on hold as her sweeping eyes rested upon a framed photo. It was of the normal photo size, being neatly framed in an ornate gold casing—its intricacy strikingly beautiful—which, despite the room's slatternly condition, remained remarkably shiny. She picked it up in her hands, fingers trailing over the complex patterns slowly, as she marveled at its beauty. The photo depicted a man, who looked maybe in his early twenties, his jet black hair set in a rather wild array of gravity defying spikes, smiling broadly with a small boy in his arms, also mimicking the smile. The small boy had on a traditional flamboyant Japanese dress, yellow with a corresponding symbol, with an equally cute looking hat that had a strange orange orb on its tip. 

_They look so happy. I wish…forget it…I wonder who they are?_

A tantalizing aroma permeated the air, its perfume wafting in her nostrils portraying an ambrosial feast in her mind's eye. Her stomach growled deeply in furious protest at being negated for so long, for she hadn't ate a decent meal since yesterday; lunchtime yesterday to be more precise. Gazing down at her tummy, she decided to put her shower plans on a temporary hiatus and walked out into the hallway. She glanced about, and finding nobody around, she walked towards the living area that she managed to make out at the denouement of said hallway. She cautiously stepped into the living room, taking slow deliberate steps, still searching the area for any recognizable face, or any human for that matter. Concluding that everyone must be in the kitchen from the deserted living room, she walked towards it, and incidentally, towards the alluring scent of food as well. 

There was no door to the kitchen, it just kind of blended in from the living room, but it had a doorway to lead into it, which was pretty weird. Timidly she entered, only to find that it too was empty, save for a woman busily working away at the oven. She had dark hair tied up into a bun, and had on a traditional purple Japanese dress, but that was all she could make out from the woman's back. A faint humming emanated from her as well, surprisingly loud enough to be heard over the lively dissonance of pots bubbling, steam cookers whistling, and food being fried in oil. 

"Excuse me," Videl asked softly.

The woman stiffened a little, but then shook her head a little later and resumed ladling something in a rather large pot.

"Excuse me," Videl said a little louder, this time making sure she could be heard over the ruckus.

This time she turned around and glanced towards Videl, and her slight frown quickly changed into a warming smile, "Oh Videl dear, so glad you woke up. Feeling any better?"

The woman's voice was tinged with a little concern, as she examined the petite girl in front of her, "Er, yeah a lot better, thank you very much."

"Oh, that's always good to hear! Well, well, I'll wager that you're starving right now."

Videl's stomach growled again at this, seemingly directing a desperate plea to its savior in purple. She blushed a little at her stomach's outburst and replied, "Yes, very. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon."

"Well, we can't have that can we? Go ahead and sit down, I'll let you eat before the boys arrive this time around." She reached over to a cupboard and pulled out a bowl, plate, and a set of chopsticks, placing them in front of the famished teen. She then went over to her steaming assortment of pots, heaping them out on to serving bowls which she also placed on the table in an orderly manner. 

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, do you know me?" Videl was meaning to ask this before, when the strange woman mystically knew her name, but was swept into the conversation before she could say so.

"Oh of course dear, Gohan has said a great deal about you," the woman replied, still placing different dishes on to the table.

"Gohan?"

"Yes, Gohan. You know, spiky hair, a little naïve, about yay big," she placed her hand at a higher level than her head, and continued, "Don't tell me you forgot him already."

"No, no, what I meant was how do you know Gohan?" She looked at the woman, who now, was staring intently at her, when it struck her. "Oops, of course! You're his mother!" She smacked her head, obviously not believing her own naiveté.

"Yes, dear. I don't think you completely recovered from yesterday," said the mother, placing her hand on Videl's forehead checking for any signs of fever.

"No, Mrs. Son, I'm fine. Speaking of which, where is he anyway?"

"Oh just outside with his brother, they'd be coming in any moment, expecting to be fed." She chuckled, "Those two honestly haven't missed meal time in years! Oh yes, no formalities here, it's too…lets just say impersonal out here, you can call me Chi-Chi."

Videl smirked a little, "Yeah, Gohan can give a sumo wrestler a run for his money!" 

"I'd advise you to start eating pretty soon. You wouldn't want to put your hand in there," gesturing to the variety of bowls strewn across the table, "When the two tornadoes start their rampage, you'd honestly be in danger of losing a hand or two otherwise." 

Finally, much to the immense delight of her tortured stomach, she attacked the various dishes in front of her. "Thank you Mrs," and glimpsing at Chi-Chi's disapproving look, "I mean Chi-Chi, I really love your cooking. I almost always steal a sandwich or two from good ol' gullible Gohan over there."

The two women giggled a little, Chi-Chi beaming with pride, "Why thank you, it's hard enough to be out here by yourself all the time. So I decided to do something to keep me occupied, and cooking, was just what the doctor ordered."

Videl started to swallow large quantities of food rather rapidly, the first-rate quality of the cuisine not helping her stuffed esophagus, as she continued to ravage the various foods. She strained herself a little, to swallow, and Chi-Chi watched as a large lump that protruded out of her neck descended rather slowly downwards until it disappeared, only to give way to another lump that replenished the cycle and started back at the top. 

"Wow, you must be really hungry."

"Mphhh," and after washing down the masticated remains of Chi-Chi's cooking with a large swig of water, she replied, "Um, yeah, pretty much. I think I look like Gohan eating now, don't I?" The two women burst into another set of giggles, Chi-Chi deciding that she liked this girl very much.

"Who looks like me?" The voice came from the kitchen doorway, with Gohan leaning against its sides a smile plastered on his face.

"A toad, the resemblance is uncanny."

"Hey!"

Videl chuckled again at Gohan's indignant protest, "It's true, it's true."

"I'll have you know that a toad once kissed turns into a revered Prince!" Gohan retorted, smirking a little as he entered their playful banter.

"That's a frog you moron."

"Toad, frog, same thing!"

"You, a nerd, are saying this? You, the biggest nerd of all, the nerdiest nerd of 'em all, the mother of all nerds, the royal King of nerds, the—," she was interrupted by Gohan's exasperated voice.

"Alright already, we get it!"

She smirked, "Hey don't interrupt me in one of my tirades!"

"Well, as you said, since I'm the King of all Nerds, then I can exercise my royal prerogative and chose to interrupt any of my subordinate subjects at any given time."

She sweat-dropped, a little confused, until she got the gist of it, "Hey, wait a minute, did you just…?"

"Yep."

"You're dead Gohan, I mean it! No one calls me a nerd and lives with it!" She bolted out of her seat after a rapidly retreating Gohan, who was also simultaneously laughing his ass off. He dashed madly out the front door and onto the vast green expanse ahead, running with no direction, intent to elude the raving mad girl on his tail, well, figuratively speaking of course. 

He didn't want to surprise her that much by running faster than herself, for he suspected that she was probably the best track runner they have in school, heck, she probably topped the whole state. Suppressing his power, he kept his pace agonizing slow for himself, which, conversely, was a pretty fast sprint for Videl. She managed to catch up to him however, executing a perfect football tackle, aiming for the back of the knee. As she anticipated, his knees buckled and they both came crashing down onto the grassy clearing. Quickly darting on top of his body, she straddled his hips and pinned both his arms to the floor, while a red Gohan tried his hardest to subdue his laughter. 

Videl had a triumphant smirk on her face as she exclaimed, "Gotcha!"

Between gasps of laughter, he managed to choke out, "S…Sor….Ha ha ha." He couldn't go through with it, and promptly burst into another fit of cachinnations, his stomach lurching up and down violently as Videl struggled to hold on to his arms while being jerked up and down. The strength of which she was being bounced around surprised her a little. His stomach muscles were very strong because they tossed around her weight like it was nothing, and this was an involuntary act also, only coming to being because he was laughing so hard. Watching his hilarious antics, Videl couldn't help but giggle with him; his laughter was contagious.

Soon he calmed down, still gasping for breath, while she smiled down at him. 

"It wasn't that funny."

"The look on your face was priceless, Videl. Seriously, that was a Kodak moment if ever was one." He struggled with himself again, trying to repress another fit of hilarity that threatened to emerge once again.

She smiled at him again, still keeping his arms pinned, "Well, your still not gonna get away with it."

He looked back up at her, as partial shadows played in subtle blotches about her face, making it, if that was even possible, even more beautiful than before. But before he could reply, something akin to an earthquake rumbled in the distance. Actually, it wasn't so much into the distance, as it was coming from right beneath Videl.

She looked at him curiously, "Oh let me guess…that was the bottomless pit crying out for mercy?"

He smiled back at her rather sheepishly, something he did often, "Yeah, haven't eaten anything since breakfast!"

"Breakfast? You mean, I woke up at around lunch time?"

"Yah, I was getting worried there for a moment," he replied, causing her to blush a little. She let go of his arms, and gazed about the forest clearing, taking in the many sights and sounds.

"How did we get here, we were about an hour away when we crashed." She looked at him, and then her eyes widened a little as she observed him squirming beneath her, and she exclaimed a little loudly, "No WAY! Don't tell me you carried me for an hour to this house! That's, that's…impossible!"

"Well, I couldn't leave you there! You would of caught pneumonia or something!" He cried indignantly, in his defense, however stupid that might have been.

"You carried me for and hour?!" She stared at him in obvious disbelief, as Gohan realized the folly of his words before. He wanted to smack himself for uttering it out so foolishly.

_Damn, now she thinks I'm a freak!_ _Way to go Gohan, bravo! You single handedly managed to make the girl of your dreams freaked at you! You didn't even need extra help! Commendable, you stupid little…_

"Um, sorry?"

"Oh my god, you big lug!" She smacked him on the head, "You should have woke me! You didn't need to go through all of that, just for me!"

"Yes I did, Videl, yes I did…" He spoke those words with utmost sincerity, leaving no room for argument, as he gazed up at her sapphire eyes. 

She just wanted to bend down and kiss him, she was that flabbergasted at what he had done for her. To her, that was the most compassionate thing anyone had ever done for her after her unfortunate, and rather depressing, turning point in her life. She realized that in this man, lay all her hopes and ambitions of the future, a future where she was no longer alone and hurt, where she could love and be loved in return, no strings attached.

Too bad, that she was immensely petrified at the repercussions of such a move, because it was a make or break move and she wasn't ready to take that sort of risk. If the gamble worked, then she would be the happiest girl in the world, and her pain would recede into darkness, from which she'd march forth into a new age of emotional peace and happiness. But, if she didn't, she'd lose him, as all friendships that turn into failed romances have done, and she couldn't have that. Not when she was so close to him, not when they were learning so much about each other and especially not when he was becoming her only true confidant, where she can tell him anything, just to share the pain. She wasn't willing to risk it all, just yet.

"KIDS!! LUNCH!!" The official call for lunch had been made, and for a saiya-jin, that was like the allurement of a bug to bright neon lights. 

Breaking out of their trance like states, both teens blushed crimson, as Gohan stuttered, "Er, Videl…Um, can you, um, get off?" She looked at him, a vacant stare still refusing to leave those otherwise twinkling cobalt eyes. He motioned a little with his arms, trying to get his point across to the zoned out girl, "Lunch…hungry…food…off…"

"Oh, yeah, I better go finished my plate as well." Still blushing at what Gohan did for her, she stood up and walked off towards the house. Gohan followed, looking tentatively at the petite girl, but although he tried, his sole attention was fixated upon the food lying in the kitchen, just waiting to be devoured. 

They entered the kitchen, only to see little Goten already at the table, ravaging his plateful like a month-starved peasant. Videl shook her head slightly, mentally noting that this must be Gohan's little brother, because he definitely had Gohan's appetite, and, upon a quick search of her memory, appeared to be an exact identical miniature copy of the man in the photo. 

"Oh Videl, this is my brother, Goten. Say hi Goten." Gohan commanded, rather than asked, the little ruffian.

"Phi!" Videl sweat-dropped, the boy definitely was Gohan's brother, because even the talking-while-food-in-the-mouth trait was evident. But, he sure was a cute looking one, eating habits aside.

"Hi. So your Goten, I heard a lot about you," she said sweetly. Gohan was a little astonished at the fact that she could talk to people in that tone as well, because that sure as hell wasn't the tone she used with most people in their school. _But_, he reminded himself, _I haven't seen her talk to little kids either._

"Really! What did big brother say! I hope he didn't say that I was really nice and pretty and cool and nice and cool like he said about you. I hope he didn't say, muff—," that was about as far as Gohan would allow things to go, as he quickly clamped his hand over Goten's mouth. Videl looked at Gohan, a faint tinge of a blush once again pervaded his cheeks and he quickly stuttered out, 

"Kids say the darndest things!"

She decided not to pursue it any further because Gohan's mother was still in the kitchen. She'd have other instances to pounce on him, and then, she would be relentless.

She sat down again to her plate, and Gohan took the seat opposite her, heaping on a considerable portion of food onto his plate. 

And then, there was silence. Do not make false assumptions about this silence; this wasn't a comfortable, pleasant silence. On the contrary, there was a peculiar eeriness tangible, although, it was not like the uncomfortable silence associated with embarrassment, this was much more pervasive. The only metaphorical analogy that could be applied to this scenario was that of a storm, and its preceding silence that foreshadowed the events to come. 

She didn't know when the actual transition took place, or when the silent barrier was transgressed, but she could attest to the fact that it had, as the rapid clicking and clanging of metallic cutlery meeting ceramic crockery testified. She only paused a moment to observe the scene in a mixture of awe and disgust, but when her own stomach couldn't stand the fact that she had made eating a spectator sport, she quickly started on her own meal. 

For the next few minutes, a substantial amount of food kept disappearing from the serving bowls, and the intensity of some of the clanging had been gradually lessening to a degree. Soon, the dishes lay desecrated upon the table, empty of its edible contents, one by one being dumped into the washbasin by Chi-Chi. Satisfied at their afternoon meal, the two teens and one child decided to crash in the living room whist Chi-Chi tackled the massive mountain of dishes that had accumulated over the course of the meal.

"Oh man, I'm stuffed. I don't think I've ever pigged out so much on food before," complained Videl, holding her stomach as she lazily plopped down upon the sofa. 

On the other hand, both Gohan and Goten had very satisfied looks plastered on their face, but they did not experience the same lethargy associated with over-eating, in fact, they were both walking around unhindered.

"Eh? Videl, wait 'till dinnertime! Me and Trunks eat twice as much!" Goten exclaimed, obviously perplexed at how someone could be stuffed by eating so little. 

"What?" Videl was too, well, overstuffed, to argue with the child upon that point. "Who's Trunks?"

Gohan tried to stop her from asking the dreaded question, he really did. 

"He's my bestest friend in the whole wide world! Me and him go everywhere together, and do everything together as well! But mommy says that he's sometimes a bad influence on me," his face scrunched up a little, "But she doesn't stop me from playing with him! But sometimes we get into trouble. But we have so much fun! Although, sometimes his dad yells at us, oh man, Vegeta yelling, that's a scary sight! Have you met Vegeta?" His face looked up at her expectantly, but before she could answer he continued on, "Of course not! But maybe Gohan will make you meet them, his mom too. She's cool, she makes lots of cool gadgets to play with. And sometimes," he leaned closer to her, whispering conspiratorially, "She gives us a double scoop of ice-cream, with hot fudge!" Videl laughed, amused at the several mood swings the little boy took in the duration of his answer. It was akin to watching a kaleidoscope of emotions. 

"Wow Goten, it looks like you have a lot of fun with him." He smiled at her and sat down on her lap, deciding to inform her of the Infernal Duo's other, more conniving, adventures, which frequently earned the scorn of their authority figures.

"Once, Me and Trunks switched the salt with sugar! I mean…" he scratched his head confused, seemingly trying to remember something, hand on chin. Videl laughed again, the way he sat there, with his hand on his little chin, deep in thought, just had a cute comical effect to it. His effervescence was truly something to be adored, because it just fitted with his innocent, easy-going disposition. 

"Oh yeah! We switched the sugar with the salt! Yeah, and Trunks' mother put it in her coffee, and spat it out all on Vegeta! He was so mad, that I think he broke the windows by just shaking."

Videl, of course, didn't take that last statement literarily. She smiled down at the bubbly guy, who, upon closer inspection, convinced her that he was the miniature version of the man in the photo. Gohan was watching the whole scene from the other couch, lazily flipping through channels on television set, with a bemused expression. Goten really could win over even the toughest of persons, namely, Videl. 

"Hey, you wanna see something cool!"

She looked at him, still smiling, "Sure, what is it?"

"Wait right here!" He jumped off her lap and raced into the hallway, noisily rummaging through his stuff. 

"Energetic kid," Videl commented, looking at Gohan.

"Man, it's weird. And you don't even want to know what happens to the cuteness and the innocence when he teams up with Trunks."

"Heh, I guess it can be that way with kids. One minute they're alone, and adorable, the next, they're with company, causing mass havoc."

"Um, Videl, don't you need to tell someone that you're somewhere?"

She laughed, "I personally don't care, however, I'm quite sure my father is raving mad at this point. I'm surprised news bulletins aren't all over the television asking for the whereabouts of "Hercule's daughter". Ah, I'll just call him up, where's the phone?"

Gohan looked about, and found the cordless lying around on the sofa. Picking it up he lobbed it to Videl, who in turn caught the flying communicator. Dialing in the number she rested the earpiece on the side of her head, waiting.

"Oh hi, is dad home?" _Must be the servants_, came Gohan's first thought.

A brief waiting period ensued, and she looked at him and rolled her eyes, making her boredom known.

"Dad…no…I mean…yes…A friend's…no…Dad…dad…dad…DAD WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN! I'm at a friend's house, and she had some problems, you know, family. So I decided to sleep over…no…yes…her phone wasn't working…me?…payphone…yes…evening…yes…bye…dad…bye…dad…" She took the phone off of her ear, and Gohan could hear a voice in a steady stream of admonishment, but before he could hear anymore, Videl just clicked the "talk" button again, effectively disconnecting.

"You just cut off your dad, isn't he gonna be even more pissed?"

"Who cares? Besides, I'll tell him I ran outta quarters." They both sniggered, until a hyperactive 7 year-old burst back into the living room. 

"Look! Great Saiya-Man!" Videl stared at the green fellow for a while, he was tiny, a bike helmet on his head, and a rather large green gi enveloped his upper torso, making him look like a dangly version of Saiya-Man. Gohan burst out laughing, sniggering uncontrollably at Goten's attempt to copy Saiya-Man's attire with random household items. 

He looked on, his bike helmet purple, and visor-less, a little hurt, "What? I look like Saiya-Man don't I?" His face fell, sadness creeping into his usual bubbly self, which tugged at Videl's heart overwhelmingly. 

"Of course you do! For a minute there I thought you were the real deal!"

"Really?" A faint glimmer of hope surfaced in his eyes, as he studied Videl searching for any insincerity.

"Yah! How did you do it? You like exactly like him." Then she knitted her eyebrows feigning suspicion, "You're not the real Saiya-Man are you?"

Goten smiled, "No! But I could be!" He then looked at Gohan, who still was rolling around the living room carpet, clutching his sides in agony, "Hey, why is big brother laughing then?"

"That's because he saw himself in the mirror."

Goten, of course, didn't get it, and just looked on at his brother slightly confused. Finally calming down, Gohan got to his feet, still grinning broadly, "Hey! That was a cheap shot!"

"That's what you get for being so insensitive."

Gohan chuckled, "Tell me you didn't say that!"

She looked on at him, eyes twinkling, "Of course I did."

"You're the one who always goes on and on about how I'm too _sensitive_," he exclaimed, in mock exasperation.

"Well, I judged you wrong, you dweeb."

Goten picked this time, unfortunately, to mimic Saiya-Man's introduction poses. He jumped around comically, yelling at the top of his lungs, "The Defender of Incense, the Cupholder of Justice, I wear tight thongs, I free the Depressed, I am the GREAT SAIYA-MAN!!"

Silence. Until both teens burst out into fresh hysterics of hilarity, Gohan seeking refuge on the same couch as Videl, both writhing around in loud cachinnations. 

"Defender of INCENSE!!! HAHAHAHA," Gohan exclaimed teary eyed.

"CUPHOLDER of Justice!!" Videl gasped, between bouts of hilarity.

"Tight thongs?!" 

"Oh GOD!"

While both teens tried to subdue their wild laughter, Goten smiled on, encouraged by the response he got.

By the time both teens managed to desist their hysterical laughter, they had managed to get their faces mere inches apart. Videl, who was previously sitting at the end of the three-seater couch, lay down sideways in her oblivious state of laughter. Gohan, who was previously standing, couldn't resist his laughter anymore and plopped down on the same couch, both of their heads meeting somewhere around the middle cushion. They stopped their giggling, staring at each other in the confines of the couch. If either one of them moved an inch forward, their lips would meet in a gentle kiss. Their close proximity was undoubtedly inciting prurient thoughts in them both, as they continued to gaze deeply in each other's eyes, trying to see through to the soul.

Goten, however, had better things to do then wait for his brother and Videl to stop staring at each other, so he decided to take the incentive. Jumping on them both he yelled, "GREAT SAIYA-MAN to the rescue!" He effectively destroyed the dreamy moment they both shared for a few minutes, and jolted them both back into reality.

"Hey squirt, that hurt!" Gohan exclaimed, grabbing his ear.

"Videl, Saiya-Man will save you, from the evil…uh…staring man!"

Gohan turned a little red, remembering that he _had_ been staring into Videl's eyes a few moments before, and without the purest of intentions mind you.

She smiled at him, a little annoyed that he had broken up a magical moment between her and Gohan, but she found out, like many others did, it was a task heralded as impossible to stay vexed at the little vagabond. "Hee Hee, now you only need to fly, and you can save me for real!"

Goten stared at her for a moment, then flashed her a grin, shouting, "Of course I can fly!" With that he levitated up into the air, towards the ceiling, and zipped around, all the time yelling, "HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY!" (A/N-for some of the older teens around, anyone remember that line?) 

She stared at him dumbfounded, utter incredulity marring her beautiful features, not wanting to believe what she had just seen.

"He…He can fly?"

Gohan slapped his forehead, muttering something about suicide and kid's conspiring to kill him, all the time shaking his head slowly. 

_Why me?_

(A/N- Man! I just realized something while going over some of my reviews! For all this time, approximately a week or so, I had this nagging feeling that I forgot something, or that I missed something, you know, the daunting feeling you get. Then, as two observant reviewers commented, I forgot to put the little note at the end of the fifth chapter! So in the succeeding narrative will be the points on which I wished to discuss, back at the conclusion of the fifth chapter.

YES! The robbery scene was inspired from the motion picture SNATCH. I incorporated that whole scene because where I live, Toronto, Canada, most of the people that I talked to, even acquaintances, haven't seen that movie! I think that it is the most heinous of crimes not to watch that movie. It is, perhaps, the most hilarious movie I have ever seen, and trust me, I've had my fair share of movies, as my bank account will vigorously attest to. I saw that movie more than a year ago, when it was released, but I still meet people today who haven't even rented it! So go watch it, if you haven't already, that short excerpt was meant to inspire you to go and watch it. It stars Brad Pitt, and is eerily reminiscent to those movies with gritty British cinematography, but don't let that deter you, because it is absolutely hilarious. Man, and to think, they didn't even pay me to advertise…damn it… 

Oh yeah, a reviewer suggested that I asterisk any words that seem to be, well, words that only articulate readers would understand. Well, fanfiction.net has answered all your prayers! The new dictionary feature enables you to get a quick dictionary definition of the word, just highlight it and tap the D key. It would be extremely impractical for me to go about asterisking "complicated" words, then providing a corresponding dictionary definition at the bottom. Because if I took the average vocabulary of the under-achiever, then the whole fic would be riddled with asterisks, and if I took the vocabulary of the more eloquent readers, such as the person who suggested this, then the fic would have almost no asterisks and would defeat the whole purpose. I personally can't distinguish which words to be asterisked or not, and go about looking them up in a dictionary to write down its definition. All hail the dictionary feature. 

On to the funny, cynical, quote of the day.)

" 'I am,' is reportedly the shortest grammatically sound sentence possible in the English language, 'I do,' sure as hell is the longest!"

-**Anonymous**

(My memory deceives me, and I can't be bothered to look this up. So, for now, it's accredited to 'anonymous' until someone can tell me otherwise.) 


	8. Macabre Innuendo

Macabre Innuendo 

"Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not."

**-Epicurus (341 BC - 270 BC)**

Son Gohan hadn't enjoyed the past week as much as he should have had, in fact, he was being increasingly convinced that he wouldn't be able to do so for a considerable amount of time to come. Tact, it seemed, was not a genetic trait prevalent in his family, nor was improvisation. Everything was going awry, wrong things were happening, and circumstance was fast becoming his worst enemy. Some things were inevitable, he wasn't denying that fact, but perhaps it wouldn't be too much to ask to delay the inevitable? She would know it all, eventually, but at the rate things were going she would know it all by the eight o'clock news. 

As it was their custom—a newly adopted custom—she was already on the roof of the school building, awaiting his arrival. Employing intense caution, "Saiya-Man" swooped downwards, scanning for ki signatures on his makeshift landing site. There was only one ki present, on the terrace, and it was that one ki that he had been dreading to meet ever since Goten's generous display of their family quirks. He had, much to his own surprise, provided somewhat satisfactory answers to most of her inquiries, and the ones he hadn't, were put on hold till today. 

He landed, and after assuring himself that they were the only two up there, he activated the suit mechanism and reverted back to his school clothes. He walked up to Videl slowly, who was calmly seated on the terrace wall, glaring at him. That glare nearly compelled the semi Saiya-jin to screw any and all plausible explanations he spent the night thinking up, and high tail it out of there. It was rather hard to believe that someone who had been subjugated numerous times to glares, and all its different renditions, hadn't developed a sort of immunity to it, or at least a defense mechanism to counter its effect. On the contrary, the fierce glare that Videl was directing at him nearly made whimper in fear. 

"H…Hi Videl," he murmured, as he refused to make direct eye contact with the raving mad teen. Had the dawn of apocalypse arrived? To think, Gohan was instrumental in the prevention of apocalypse just seven years ago. History certainly has a bizarre way to repeat itself. 

"Sit." Gohan didn't like the feeling of that, not that sitting was a bad thing per se, but the demeanor in which she had said it made it all the more frightening. He would think that an angry stream of accusations and insults would have been a much more attractive proposition. 

"Look, Videl. I…I was going to tell you sooner or later, but…" He stuttered to find the right words, and glanced up at her, immediately regretting the move. She was absolutely livid, and she made every possible effort to have it be known.

"But what?" She snapped, irritated at his new silence.

"I…I didn't…" Where in the world did all his rehearsed lines disappear to? He spent most of the night formulating plausible excuses for his reluctance to reveal his secret, and thought he had come up with some pretty convincing answers. If only he could stop shaking so much, then maybe he can scour his memory once more.

"How did he fly? How can you fly? How can anyone possibly _fly_?!"

Those were interesting questions, and to the average human being concepts deemed impossible. No one can fly, that fact was well documented. Nobody could fly without the assistance of mechanical devices. Videl, though, wasn't so sure anymore.

"Um, it's a simple concept, really." A mental struggle ensued, as his rational mind tried to reason with his irrational heart. He couldn't reveal to her everything in one long explanation. It would overwhelm her and quite possibly scare her, so at the moment she was on a need-to-know basis. He had to reveal to her things that she suspected, not so much so to share with her his deep suppressed emotions, but to quell any more inquisitiveness that may have emerged in her.

"You know, in the ancient arts, there were martial arts masters with phenomenal skill. They were, in essence, the true masters of the arts and understood both the spiritual and physical aspects of it." Videl nodded in affirmation, and shifted her body weight to get comfortable. It was evident that she was settling in for the long haul, and there was no other way out. Sighing, Gohan reluctantly continued his narrative.

"Well, what their modern contemporaries state is that those masters _innovated_ some parts of the arts, which they concluded were physically impossible to do. Have you ever heard, or read, about those Sensei's experiences? In it, they state that they can rouse their inner spiritual strength and manifest it into a light-heat energy. In a crude way, it's like saying they could throw balls of energy."

"I remember reading something like that, but always after, in the explanatory notes, they state that such things were notions that were only _achieved_ by the masters in hallucinations. And that through deep meditation they achieved a fantastic level of inner peace from where they thought they had enough command of _ki _that they could throw energy beams."

"Do you believe in _ki _manipulation?"

She looked at him a little confused, what kind of question was that? "Of course not. I think that to say you can use your inner strength in the outer world is like transgressing spiritual boundaries. I don't think they can mix, that is why the masters only achieved it in a state of deep meditation."

"Would you believe me if I said that the ancient masters were able to charge light-heat energy from their ki. That is the sole reason why Goten and I can fly, and the average human can't." Well it wasn't the _sole_ reason, but Gohan didn't think it was blatantly lying to Videl, it was just a matter of withholding extra information. He would only tell her if she suspected him of it, or else it is better that his ancestry remain shrouded in as much mystery as possible.

"You mean to say, that _ki_ is real?" She asked him, but didn't want to believe. For some odd reason though, she found that her sub-conscious immediately accepted Gohan's explanation, it was like she was compelled to believe anything he said. She had this predominant feeling that whatever Gohan is, he sure as hell isn't a liar. 

As if to answer her question, Gohan opened his palm and showed her his empty hand. She stared at it, which for sometime hadn't done anything, until suddenly a bright yellow ball materialized about two inches above it. The ball was small—actually, it was miniscule—but bright nevertheless. As if on cue, the ball started to enlarge, bloating itself to the size of a soccer ball, as a faint crackling sound emitted from it. Still skeptical, she tentatively reached her hand out making an obvious attempt to "touch" the object in question. She could feel the heat radiating out from that orb, it was unreal, but before her hand could get any closer the ball disappeared, and the intense heat gradually dispersed. She threw a questioning look at him, thankfully no longer in an irate state of mind.

"You don't want your hand to be singed now do you?" Gohan tried to lighten up the mood, so he deliberately attempted to sound a little sneaky.

She glared at him, but due to Gohan's prolonged exposure to her moods, he knew that this new glare was simply a masquerade to veil her amusement.

"Hmph. You're going to teach me to fly," and before Gohan could put up any sort of protest, "Or ELSE…" She left that statement unsaid. She left it to Gohan's proactive imagination to fill in the rest, hopefully inducing gruesome images of torture and death in him. She didn't even wait for any confirmation of his compliance, but rather, she spun around on her heals and marched back into the school, leaving a solemn Gohan in her wake. 

_Oh man, now I'm beginning to believe in that darned domino effect…To think, a stupid detention started all this…maybe Trunks can lend me his time machine? _

_ **Hey moron, have you already forgotten that time isn't linear? Or has your appalling cowardice for a mere human reduced you to a blubbering, weak, shell of a Saiya-jin?**_

The shrill ringing of a bell, signifying that five minutes were left until school started, interrupted his inner monologue. Sighing again, he walked gloomily back into Orange Star High, a palpable sense of dread overcoming him.

*******************************

"Gentlemen, welcome. You are all gathered here to witness the dawn of a new era, as we have become the most powerful crime syndicate ever to come into existence," the mysterious figure proclaimed, with all due grandeur, the future course of Satan City crime. In front of him, gathered around an elliptical table, were five of the most powerful crime lords in Satan City. Although they couldn't see the facial features of the mystery man, they knew with all certainty that he was beaming with pride, as his plans were gradually coming into fruition. But, even though their new temporary alliance was solely governed by the new crime-fighting menace, it did give all of them a sense of security and unity, for they now controlled every single crime organization in all of Satan City. Their power, and corresponding criminal jurisdiction, spanned the entire area of downtown, and numerous key municipalities around their base of operations. 

"But what to do with that pesky green idiot? Although he portrays an image of idiocy, he is not to be underestimated. He is extremely powerful, and our firepower doesn't seem to dent him." Don Salvatore commented, amiably keeping his anger suppressed to an absolute minimum. The four other Don's nodded in agreement, considering that their very livelihoods were at stake here.

"Salvatore, patience my friend. We all know that to win the war, we must attack our opposition in strategic locations. We cannot take the capital with our first battle, it must be steady succession of battles until we can overwhelm the enemy defenses, and then that is when we strike." His cryptic answer did nothing to assuage the Don's concerns, and he made it known by glowering at the shrouded figure.

"We must attack his weaknesses, before we attack him." 

The table burst into many different sets of whispers, as the Dons conversed with themselves about this new strategy.

Salvatore eventually brought order back into the proceedings, by booming in his stentorian voice, "And what, pray tell, are his weaknesses?"

The mystery figure didn't reply to Salvatore's legitimate question by words, but rather, he flipped out his cellular and punched in some numbers.

"Yes, I, the _de facto _leader of the New Mafia Crime Syndicate, am hereby issuing and executive order to your gang and its members to…"

*************************

"Hey, Videl." Gohan decided that there certainly was a truth to the age-old adage, 'There is no use in crying over spilt milk', and learned to live with Videl's new knowledge about himself. He was currently at his locker, thanking his lucky stars that the day had ended, stuffing homework materials in his bloated book bag.

"Well, Gohan, you seem unusually chipper for someone who just…"

"Ha ha, Videl!" Gohan exclaimed, quickly interrupting her sentence.

Both Sharpener and Erasa stared at them both warily, "Someone who just, what?" Erasa added, still training her suspicious stare at them both.

Videl glared a little at Gohan, and then turned to Erasa, "I was about to say for someone who just was involved in a crash."

Videl was a master at improvisation, as years of experience could tell, and used that talent to alleviate any suspicion that both Sharpener and Erasa retained, "Oh, yeah. So, what was the problem with the aircraft anyway?" Sharpener asked, all pretense of distrust vanishing.

"I don't know yet, they still have to pick up its mangled remains from the lake."

"Must have been so SCARY! Gohan, did you get hurt?" Erasa exclaimed.

"Uh…um…not really," he squeaked. He still didn't trust Erasa's intentions completely, and was constantly wary of her antics.

"Oh you poor thing, it must have been scary!" Erasa persisted, much to the chagrin of the already distraught demi Saiya-jin.

"Come on Erasa, I'm leaving. If you wanna freeload a ride, then make it quick." Sharpener said, getting rather irritated at her constant fretting over Gohan, and every other thing that related to him.

"Geez, Sharpener, chill. No need to be jealous or anything."

Sharpener stiffened, and he gaped at her with some vehemence. Just what was she insinuating? That he was jealous of nerd boy over there? What the hell did he have to be jealous _of_? Apart from his intelligence, his magnetic appeal to women, his dark, secretive nature…wait a minute, just what are we contemplating here? He himself was also intelligent, and had an _irresistible_ appeal to women, and could be dark, and mysterious, if he wanted to, right? Right? Most of his self-confidence was innately destroyed by philosophizing too much about the comparison of his own abilities, with that of Gohan's.

"Hey Sharpie, you still there?" Erasa asked, a little concerned.

"Processing, processing…loading time, approximately two days, five hours, seventeen minutes, and twenty seconds," Videl said in a monotone voice—one that resembled a robot—making an unflattering estimate at Sharpener's mental proficiency.

Gohan stifled a laugh, as Videl started snickering, trying his hardest not to be insensitive. But Videl was making that objective much harder than it seemed to be.

"Overload, Overload…self destruction sequence activated. Five, four, three, two, one," and then, 'Whack'.

She smacked him hard on the back of his head, snapping him out of his own self-pity, rather harshly at that too.

"Ouch, what the hell was that for Videl?"

"Well, when my computer starts acting up, all it needs is a good smack to fix it right up. I figured that it'd be the same with you."

He looked at her a little hurt, but rather then break down and cry, he stalked off towards the exit. 

"Bye you guys!" Erasa quipped, as she hurried to keep up with the seething blonde, a free trip home her sole inspiration.

"Bye Erasa," Videl replied, and then turned to Gohan, who was trying to sneak off as well.

She tapped him on the shoulder, making him jump up with surprise. Slowly turning around, he faced the girl of his dreams once more. At that moment, though, he wasn't thinking of her in that same context.

She smiled sweetly at him, nearly making him melt into a puddle, "I'll see you tomorrow, Gohan. My flight lessons begin at precisely two o' clock," then, as if enforcing that statement, she narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Is that convenient for you?"

Gohan wished that the theory of spontaneous combustion were really a reality, then he would have a great escape route at hand, but, just as his current spell would dictate, he would have no such luck. "Uh, sure! No problem, Videl."

"Good." They walked up to the terrace in silence, and Videl decapsulated her yellow mode of transport. She had opted to pick out the same color for her new chopper, since it had become a beacon of hope for the innocents, and a symbol of pain for the criminals. "Well, _Saiya-Man_, I'll see you later. Don't do anything illegal while I'm gone," she quipped, a smile encroaching her lips.

"Oh I won't mommy, I'll be a good boy!" Gohan drawled, contorting his face into a perfect rendition of the "goody two-shoe" look.

She laughed, and after giving him a short wave, took off towards her mansion. Gohan watched her go, probably just to make sure of her safety, and after her aircraft had shrunk to a blackened dot against the horizon, he switched into Saiya-Man, and took off as well. He decided that a relaxing flight would calm his anxiety for tomorrow, and besides, he had to make his usual round of Satan City. His usual afternoon search for society's unwanted miscreants awaited him. 

************************

Videl was, contrary to what Gohan thought, very nervous about attempting to fly. Anyone would be, if they had been in her situation. What if she fell? She knew that those anxieties were largely unfounded, for right now in her jet plane, she could fall as well, like what had happened before. But still, this was in an enclosed area, while flying on her ki would be open, too open. She wasn't the least bit agoraphobic, but flying around, with no mechanical help, in such a vast expanse of blue would really be unnerving for even the most composed individuals.

Despite her nervousness, there was also that immense excitement associated with flying, on your own merit of course, that compelled her to force Gohan in teaching her to fly. She imagined the thrill of flying, feeling the wind whip through her hair, the scenery being observed not through a pane of glass, but through her very own eyes. It would be great; she was positive.

Before she could envisage any more details of flying, her watch emitted a loud beep. Sighing, she pressed the appropriate buttons and snapped, "What is it this time?"

"Quick Videl, go to Yonge and Finch. Near there, you will see an alleyway, that's where you need to go! Hurry!" There was a lot of static, and she just barely made out the words.

"What's the problem Chief?" She had already changed her flight course, directing it towards that particular junction.

"It's…" All she could hear was static, and the loud crackling sound was quickly getting her annoyed, "the…fight…come…quick…" The adjoining words between them were drowned out with the static, and thus were not heard. The broken sentence though, carried with it a sense of urgency, causing Videl to step on the gas pedal.

She reached the alley in question in about three minutes of flight, and landing her chopper on top of a building, she proceeded to race towards the alleyway. Climbing down the fire escape routes, she made it to the bottom, and gave a thorough search of the alleyway.

_Odd, there's no one here. I hope nothing happened to them._

She tapped her wristwatch again, trying to establish communication between her and the Chief once more, "Chief, you there? Chief! I'm here, but where are you guys? Chief!"

Heavy static was her reply, until after a few moments of silence came a muffled voice, "Be…hind…you…" She scrunched up her face, frustrated and confused. Obviously there was nobody behind her, she had just checked that a few minutes ago. Something, though, was nagging at her consciousness, persuading her to turn around. A man stood there, perhaps a member of a gang as his loose fitting garb betrayed, holding a communicator in his hand. He clicked the button, and whispered into it, "Right behind you."

A slight notion of fear gripped her, but she managed to quickly overcome it and rear back into her fighting stance. She didn't know who this guy was, or what he wanted, but he'd have to go through hell and back before he got whatever it is he was after.

"Where's you're freaky friend Saiya-Man?" The guy asked, his voice heavily laden with sarcasm.

"I don't need him to do everything for me! I'm can kick your ass just as well!" She retorted, letting her intense pride take over.

"Well, since I can't _find_ him. Be sure you convey this message to him."

"And what is that?" She snapped irritably.

"That Don Salvatore doesn't take being jailed too lightly."

"That loser? He IS in jail."

"That's what you think pretty lady." He sneered, showing a row of crooked teeth.

"What the hell do you want?!" She called out angrily, not at all flattered by the attention this man gave her.

"You…"

She didn't give him time to complete the sentence however, as she charged at him full throttle. Closing the gap between them in no less than two seconds, she jumped and thrust her left leg out, hitting the astonished gangster square in the chest. He flew back about four feet upon impact, skidding painfully to a halt by the garbage dumpster.

"Still want me?" She jeered, casting a menacing glare at the pathetic fool.

He smiled at her, even though it was obvious he was in pain, causing that gripping fear she had felt earlier to emerge full force. Still trying to retain some of her composure, she kept her glare trained on him. 

All he did, though, was point behind her. Fear was now overwhelming her, and she started to shake slightly, as she turned around to face it. Before she could fixate her gaze on whatever it was that lurked behind her, a deafening boom shattered the eerie silence. The bullet seared through her abdomen, and although she didn't know it at the time, lodged itself in the complex maze of intestines that were concealed inside. She stared in utter shock, not so much at the shooter, but at everything. She tried to keep her eyes focused, but the pain was too much, burning her insides. Her eyes glazed over and she slumped to the floor unconscious.

**********************

Gohan was in an utter state of panic. While performing his self-imposed police duty, he had felt drastic ki fluctuations from Videl. Those fluctuations however, were just in sporadic bursts, probably signifying that she was called to apprehend some criminals. But a little while later, he felt her ki signature drastically drop. It was so low, that he had to forcibly concentrate on it to ascertain that she was still alive. She was, barely. Not caring about anything, he quickly ascended to super Saiya-jin, his blonde locks concealed under his helmet, and dashed full speed towards her ailing ki. 

(I don't think _anyone_ is suspense after the ending of this, but to assuage any culpable doubts about my own writing prowess, this new plot device is merely the tip of the iceberg. Now, we laugh. But if we snore, we sleep alone, as our good friend Anthony Burgess highlighted earlier.)

"There are many things that we would throw away if we were not afraid that others might pick them up." 

**-Oscar Wilde**


	9. Dire Consequences

Dire Consequences

"I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time."

-Herbert Bayard Swope

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III. It was incorporated in this chapter because I feel it is one of the greatest games made. That, and I needed some comic relief. ;x

He was feeling it all over again, like a jolt of electricity, after seven years of mediocrity. His stomach was twisting and churning about, his feelings of dread overcoming everything else. He couldn't think. His mental anguish made that simple everyday concept—something he didn't have much trouble doing throughout his life—akin to comprehending theoretical physics before puberty. He wasn't so sure as to what had actually occurred to Videl, and equally, why he was in such a state of nervous shock at what he would find. She was strong, both in resolve and as a physical specimen, so the situation couldn't be that bad, could it? Gohan was unquestionably positive that she could fatally maim any other human in hand-to-hand combat, exempting the humans of the Z Senshi of course. That statement included that supercilious braggart Mr. Satan, and all his pathetic lackeys. Even though he had made those observations purely on the basis of evaluating her strength to others, right now, it did nothing to diminish his concern for the raven-haired vixen.

In his agitated state, he hadn't noticed that he was exerting a phenomenal amount of ki, his pace rapidly accelerating with every second. Soon, inevitably, he heard—and felt—the deafening boom reverberate throughout his skeletal structure.

"Wha…?" He hadn't the least bit idea at what it was, that colossal explosion that still rang in his ears and vibrated furiously inside him. And he was sure as hell not going to stop to ponder over it. He then realized the nature of the roar, still not decelerating his pace, but mentally acknowledged the fact that he had ascended Mach 1. He would have expressed some concern had it occurred under different circumstances, that fact was assured. But in his current state of panic he barely had time to dodge stray birds, let alone fret over loud noises. Some of the poor creatures were nearly fried whilst air-born, simply because of the tremendous amount of ki-heat being emitted from his aura.

It was a relatively short flight, roughly three minutes maximum, and as soon as he had spotted her body he nose-dived towards it. A small crater, about the size of a small Saiya-jin space-pod, immediately formed as Gohan's ki rendered the alley rubble into nothing. It was as close to spontaneous combustion as was humanly possible.

"Oh god," gasped Gohan, looking at her sprawled on the alley dirt, unconscious. A crimson pool had gradually spread around her, encompassing her torso and the immediate vicinity around it.

_She's not dead. She's not dead. She can't be dead. Oh god, she's dead. No! She's not!!!_

He rushed towards her, kneeling and placing his finger on her creamy neck, checking for a pulse.

_A God, please let there be a pulse. Please, Please…_

Apparently the silent, and desperate, plea for mercy had been heard. A small and painfully distinct throb pulsated through her main artery. It was so light, that if Gohan hadn't studied those emergency-aid techniques his mom imposed on him, he would have thought the worst. His fingers confirmed that her soul was still with him, on this spiritual plane, and had not transcended into the upper realm.

He carefully, almost as if someone was handling a nuclear bomb that would explode if dropped, cradled her into his arms. He made every possible effort to keep the move as gradual as possible, trying his hardest not to move her muscles even the slightest. Most medical technicians state that an injured body should never be moved without the proper medical check, for the movement may inflame any internal injuries. Despite that knowledge, the compelling need for him to get her some help overrode that previous precaution. He clutched her protectively in his arms, and blasted off.

Luckily, for him, there was a hospital in that immediate locality. Shunning any pessimistic thoughts of the fatal injuries she may have suffered, which had been swimming around in his mind along with a whole slew of other, equally depressing, notions, he skyrocketed towards his destination.

Videl, the girl he loved so deeply, was bleeding profusely at the moment. It made his heart wrench violently that the love of his life was on the brink of death. He would gladly trade his life just so she could enjoy even a meager minute more of this life, without giving it another thought.

He quickly landed upon the front entrance, as idle passers-by gaped in astonishment at their well-celebrated superhero duo. People quickly moved out of Saiya-Man's path, murmuring slightly as they witnessed him carry a red-drenched Videl with him.

"Somebody! I need help! Help!" He shouted, trying to rouse the attention of the medics, "Help me! Hel…," his voice broke uncharacteristically—for Saiya-Man that is—and he tried to repeat his plea for help. But try as he might, his voice was stuck in his throat, tears threatening to burst forth behind tinted visors. Fortuitously, a doctor had just happened to be checking on some patient files at the front desk, and was alarmed to see Saiya-Man caressing a bloody Videl in his arms. He quickly called for a stretcher, and two nurses frantically wheeled one out from the storage rooms. With all due care, Saiya-Man placed her on the stretcher, trying not to irritate any internal injuries she may have suffered. Immediately after, the nurses wheeled her at a furious pace with the doctor taking the lead.

As the stretcher was in motion, one nurse was busy injecting a needle into her small arm, successfully connecting her to an IV bag. Gohan, or Saiya-Man in this case, was running after them, not wanting to leave Videl's side even for a moment. He rushed with them as fast as he could, everything was a blur to him; the voices were being slurred, his vision was becoming distorted, and a faint dizziness threatened to engulf him.

"Gunshot wound, possibly at medium range, entering the abdomen at the front. Has suffered a huge amount of blood loss and is in a current state of unconsciousness." The doctor called out to his aides, one nurse furiously scribbling notes down, as they rushed down the corridor. They burst through two double doors, a sign above signifying it as the 'Operating Theatre'. One nurse lingered behind, anticipating Saiya-Man's intentions expertly.

"Sorry sir, you can't enter the operating theatre." She said, trying to calm the frantic superhero.

"No! I have to see her, she can't…"

"Sir, I understand. But you have to let the doctors do their job."

"I know! But I must see her, she's bleeding so much!" Gohan called out, frenetically trying to push his way in through the double doors.

The nurse, who was highly experienced with this sort of behavior and was still getting progressively irked, shouted out, "LOOK SIR! We know you're concerned! But if you want to see her alive, you must give the doctors their SPACE! When you fight crime, don't you see to it that civilians don't interfere when your work of apprehending criminals? This is just like that! In the crime scene people respect your space, so you have to respect our space!"

She glared at him, as he lowered his head in a little shame, muttering a sort of apology.

"Good, now don't worry she'll be okay. We'll try our best for the daughter of this whole City." With that somewhat soothing assurance, she whirled around and entered the double doors, leaving Gohan staring at the swinging entrance. Sighing despondently, he trudged towards some vacant seats, deciding to wait outside despite his burning desire to be with her. He wanted to hold her hand, to be beside her all the time, to be there for her at a time like this. He slumped into his seat, tired and hungry, trying to discern what was going on inside.

"What happened to you, kid?" The voice was deep, and eerily familiar. He stared at the ground, refusing to acknowledge the speaker.

"You have blood splattered all over your gi, you should have it checked." The voice persisted, equally stubborn upon not leaving the teen alone as he had wished.

Glancing up, Gohan stared at his former caped mentor, the proud Namek known as Piccolo. "She's…She's shot…She might die…" He said, in utter shock, like he had just come to that realization.

Piccolo's expression changed immediately to a faintly identifiable look of concern, as he asked a little softer this time, "Who, Gohan?"

Gohan looked up at him, eyes vacant, reflecting an unusual amount of light, and slowly whispered, "Videl." Although Piccolo hadn't the least bit idea of who this female might be, he instantly grasped that she meant a lot to his former pupil.

"Why didn't you take her to see Dende?"

He looked at him, as a bit of confusion crept into his face. After contemplating on the question for a while, Gohan smacked himself in the forehead and stood up, taking long strides towards the operating theatre. But before he could barge in, and take his ailing love to see his Namekian friend, a large sinewy hand grabbed his shoulder.

He looked back, to see Piccolo's determined face, "Don't Gohan."

Frustrated, Gohan shrugged off his hand and exclaimed, "Why not? She's going to die if I don't get her to Dende!"

"Dende could heal her, that is true. But recall, the injuries Dende has been exposed to are ki inflicted by nature. Thus he had always been able to heal us without the concern for foreign objects, or collateral residue."

Gohan looked at him again, slight realization dawning to him as he analyzed Piccolo's profound statement. He somehow managed to comprehend its implications even though he was pretty much still shrouded in a blanket of anxiety.

"I believe, if memory serves me correctly, that you stated earlier that she had been shot. Therefore, there is a very large, and probably correct, possibility that the bullet is still lodged within her system. If Dende had healed her, he would have healed the flesh _over_ the metallic projectile, and that would later on undoubtedly cause her numerous internal injuries. Here," he handed the forlorn teen a green bean, which immediately perked his spirits, "After they have performed the necessary surgery to remove it, you can safely give her this, which I believe would solve your plight rather efficiently." He smirked a little at his hopeful pupil, who gingerly took the green bean that had been offered to him. Ever since the 'Demon-King' had merged with Kami, he had been going through subtle changes, no doubt because of the older counterpart's influence. He seemed to talk with much more eloquence than the normal Piccolo, who had trained him prior to the Saiya-jin invasion.

"You're the best Piccolo!" Gohan said, immediately smothering the much larger specimen with a grateful embrace.

Piccolo just grunted, refusing to return the childish embrace, but a faint smile had already encroached his lips.

Gohan was smiling broadly as he walked up to the double doors and peeked in. The doctor was holding a pair of tweezers, and upon closer inspection, tweezers that had a round metallic ball firmly in its grip. He pumped his fist enthusiastically, calling out a small, "Yesss," in the process.

Deciding that leaving Videl's life to further surgery would unnecessarily put her in harm's way, he casually walked in through the double doors bean grasped firmly in his hand.

"Excuse me, Saiya-Man! I though I told you to stay outside!" It was the same nurse from before, the one that had vented quite angrily at him.

"Yes, ma'am, I know. But I have here something that will help Miss Videl profoundly in her recovery." He held out his palm, showing her the small green bean that rested on it.

"What are you nuts?! This is a gunshot wound, not a freaking rash! This is serious, and I would appreciate it if you'd get out!"

"But, honestly, it'll—," he was interrupted yet again, this time by the head surgeon.

"Get out, Saiya-Man! We need to concentrate here!"

Gohan decided that he had not the time nor energy to explain to these skeptics about the power vested in that bean, so opted to use the more convincing method. Holding out his other palm, he formed a yellow ball of light, and aimed it at the metallic filing cabinet to his side. He let it go, and the astonished medical workers watched on as the metal instantly incinerated, a large charcoal splotch imprinted on the ground where it had once stood.

"If you don't want that to happen to yourself, I suggest you leave." He pointed his finger to the door, struggling to suppress his increasing anger. Without hesitation, the fearful medical staff adhered to the threat and filed out the door, rather hastily. Sighing, Gohan walked up to the operating table, spotting the round transparent dish the bullet had been discarded into. Emptying its contents, he placed the Senzu in it, and formed a small ball of ki underneath it, effectively heating the dish. After a little while, the Senzu had completely liquefied, the thick green liquid oozing around the dish until it had covered every inch of it. Taking a glass of water, he carefully diluted the mixture to what he estimated was fifty percent, making half the mixture Senzu and the other half water.

Working fast, he transferred some of its contents into a hypodermic syringe, pushing the end of it slightly just to make sure it was working properly. Satisfied with his handiwork, he walked up the bloodied girl, and injected his new formula into her, using the already inserted IV bag tube. He slowly caressed her beautiful face, brushing her silky bangs of hair idly, whispering, "It'll be okay now, Videl. I promise…"

In the brightly lit room, a sleeping beauty stirred slightly. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open only to be subsequently shut again. Trying again, a little more careful, she let the brightness stream in through the small slits of her eyes. Gradually, as her rods and cones became adjusted to this change of light, she ventured to open them more fully. Squinting a little, she surveyed the room she was in. A somewhat nauseating odor was highly detectable by her olfactory senses. It was a very familiar smell. One that was almost automatically associated with hospitals, and their vigorous attempts to keep it sterile.

The room itself was fairly spacious, with almost no furniture save for a small chair and its corresponding table. She couldn't make out any more furnishings from her current position. Assuming it to be a hospital bed, she felt around on the side and soon found the button she wanted. Pressing it, she waited as a small mechanical hum initiated. After about half a minute of that low drone, her bed had inclined to about a forty-five degree angle, Videl deciding that this was the most comfortable position. She felt a faint rise and fall of someone on her stomach, a consistent cycle of pressure being applied and then released, like the ebb of oceanic waves on sandy beaches.

Looking down her eyes met the most adorable scene she could possibly imagine. There lay, partially on her stomach, arms folded on the sides of her bed, her spiky-haired love, er, friend. She smiled weakly at him, mentally thrilled at the site of his apparent concern for her welfare. Right next to him was an open laptop computer, strikingly familiar in color and shape to her own. It took her only moments to realize that it _was _her own laptop, as a small 'Girls Kick Ass' aphorism (to her at least) was scrawled on its black side-casing with correction fluid.

Feeling a sudden surge of anger, she quickly reached out and grabbed it. She wasn't one too enamored with people invading her privacy. She had learned to use it as an emotional outlet, to just spew forth whatever she was feeling at whatever time she wished to write. It was her electronic journal, her written documentation of the very emotions she veiled from the breathing world. Scowling at the sleeping Gohan, she checked the laptop screen to see what Gohan had been reading. She pressed a key causing the cessation of the moving objects displayed on the monitor, her screensaver. Soon a white screen blinked up, with several written words arranged in neat rows. It was a Word document, and from the looks of things, the written sentiments in which she identified her repressed emotions. Although she thought that this was her diary document, the title of the page begged to differ otherwise. It read, 'Identifying Microcosms'.

Minimizing it, she soon realized that that was the only open document. Quickly accessing the history folder, she gave it a hasty perusing, the information there quelling any anger she had felt for Gohan before. Contrary to her instinctive conclusion, he had not invaded her privacy. In fact, he had only opened one document, which obviously was the one he was working on when he fell asleep. Curiously reading over the document, she became more and more certain that this was the Literature essay they were instructed to do in class. It was due first thing next week, and she had had alluded to Gohan about getting some help with it prior to her 'incident'.

_Gohan probably finished up his own essay, but why on my computer? Maybe he didn't have any paper over here, so used the computer._

She glanced at him again, still methodically undulating on her stomach like a stationary wave.

_Wait a minute…_She quickly went back to the laptop screen and checked the title once more. It still read, 'Identifying Microcosms', which could only mean one thing. _He did it for me? I am pretty sure the topic given to him was 'Abstract Ideas'._ As if to convince herself, she read above the title, and in the top right corner typed in bold font was her name. She scrolled all the way down to the bottom, reading the conclusion to the piece, which she noted absentmindedly was written in 'less-articulate' English than Gohan usually employs on formal assignments. Gohan was obviously attempting to write the paper within the bounds of Videl's above average vocabulary, keeping an amiable check upon his more eloquent usage of words.

_That was so sweet, he wrote a five-page paper just for me. And he probably had to research the topic I was given as well, because he had a different one._

Little did she know that Gohan's book knowledge is of an extraordinary scope. He probably needed to employ the most minimal amount of time researching, and knowing Gohan, finished the paper in less than an hour. She reached over and ran her hand through his thick locks of jet-black hair. It was unusual that his hair was soft and fluffy, not the hard and stiff rendition frequently associated with spiky hair. There were no signs indicating that he used hair-gel, or any other hair styling accessory. Then the question still remained: how the hell did his hair defy gravity so much on its own accord?

Gohan stirred a little, moaning something incomprehensible as he turned his head to the other side. Previously he had his left cheek resting on her stomach, facing away from her. After this latest development he was facing towards her, a trickle of drool dribbling down the side of his mouth. She still stroked his hair, watching a small smile come to his lips. Before she could do anything though, his eyes shot open almost too suddenly. He looked at her a little confused, fully aware of her hand still stuck in his hair.

"You did that for me?" She asked, pointing to the laptop screen, a little too nicely for Gohan's liking. Just what was she getting at anyway?

"Uh…um…yeah." He managed to croak out, cringing a little afterwards as if expecting admonishment. Instead of the dreaded diatribe, all he got was another gentle stroke on his hair, until she pulled her hand back. He looked up and witnessed a soft smile on her lips as she looked out the window, light playing on her beautiful features. All too soon he realized where he had fallen asleep, pointedly Videl's stomach, and quickly bolted upright blushing wildly.

"Thanks," she said gently.

"Um…it's okay. No problem." He replied, rather relieved. "How are you feeling?"

She looked at him, who seemed to be trying his utmost not to smile. It was very confusing to say the least, "Surprisingly, I feel fine. Wait. Scratch that, better than fine. Man, I think they put me on too much morphine."

Gohan burst into a fit of snickers, trying to clamp his hand over his grinning mouth. Seeing Videl glare indignantly at him, he suppressed any more snickers, and grinned broadly. "How's your stomach?"

"I dunno, I didn't check it yet." She looked down, only now realizing that she wasn't in her normal clothing. Rather, she saw a despicable array of ducks imprinted on the white cloth. Videl concluded that it must have been the most embarrassing set of clothing apparel ever to hit the consumer market.

"What the hell?!" She exclaimed, jolting Gohan to an upright position. He hastily scampered to his feet, his head rapidly turning to and fro.

"What? What?"

"What the hell is this?" She demanded hotly, pointing to her hospital gown.

He looked relieved, as he sat back down waving nonchalantly, "Oh that, the hospital ran out of gowns. It seemed that someone threw up, repeatedly I may add, on the fresh batch of laundry. The clothes were literally swimming in spew," Videl scrunched up her nose at this. It was not pretty to visualize that scenario, as Videl would vigorously attest to. "So, the hospital right now is running big time short. They had to give some adults the gowns for children."

Her face turned beet red at that statement, as she slowly peeked underneath the white covers. Sure enough, it looked more like a skimpy whore outfit rather than a hospital gown. It barely covered her underwear, stopping short at about her upper thigh. It was the most utterly despicable, and now most revealing, clothes she had ever worn in her entire life. The only thing that consoled her minutely was the fact that it was at least loose fitting, not sticking to her bodily contours.

"Oh man," she whispered, to nobody in particular.

"What is it?" Gohan asked, intrigued at her new mood. It seemed she was going through a lot of mood swings lately…must be that time of the month again.

She looked at him, and immediately another fresh onslaught of red consumed her. She tugged at the sheets instinctively. which presently covered her from the upper torso and on downwards.

"Um, nothing much. Just that this gown is a little too revealing for comfort."

Blushing slightly, Gohan laughed, "Well, it's only temporary. 'bout an hour or two, until they clean up that mess. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I'm famished," she responded, hands going to her tummy. She felt around a bit, her eyes growing progressively larger. Throwing a questioning glance at him, she peeked under her covers again, trying to get a view of her torso. Lifting up her gown, she gasped, feeling the smooth skin underneath. It showed not a single sign of even being scratched, let alone a bullet ripping through it. There were no stitches, or bandages, nor was there any swelling or marks of a bruise. It was like nothing had happened to it, but as she too vividly remembered, that wasn't the case.

"Alright, explain to me why it looks like the bullet missed me completely?" She demanded, again extending her glower at the Saiya-jin.

"Oh, um…well, ya see…I," he looked at her, and her features softened a bit, telling him to go on. "Um, I have this friend. He grows a special type of bean, which has…" he mentally cringed, "A bit of magic in it."

Videl stared at him, immediately skeptical. "Magic? What the hell do you mean by, 'magic'?"

"It has unusual healing powers, and is able to accelerate the healing process as well. Incredibly, I had one on me when this happened to you."

She still kept her gaze on him, watching as he squirmed uneasily. "You mean to say you gave me a bean? Which accelerated a three-month healing process to a day?"

"No, to about five minutes." That was not the most tactful thing to say at a time like this.

"What? You expect me to believe this Son Gohan? What kind of fool do you think I am?"

The nurse picked that particular moment to barge in, greeting them both cheerily. "Hello, you two! Miss Videl, how are we feeling?" She had a motherly charm about her, causing both teens to immediately like her. She placed a tray in front of Videl, and then proceeded to check some monitors and her chart. Videl stared at the tray and made a face. The main dish was something brown and chunky, looking a lot like solid oatmeal.

"Remarkable, Miss Videl. That Saiya-Man is really something else." The nurse commented after a brief perusal of her health statistics.

Videl immediately diverted her gaze to Gohan, food forgotten temporarily. Gohan's eyes silently pleaded with her, and she felt her resolve weaken considerably. She honestly didn't know anyone who could actually say no to that look he gave, and by the looks of things it was rubbing off on his little brother.

"What do you mean?" She asked, avoiding any words that would reveal "Saiya-Man's" identity.

"Well, he brought you here all bloody and stuff. It was really a heart-breaking sight. I heard that the doctors started to operate on you, but shortly after they had removed the bullet, Saiya-Man barged in and kicked them all out." Videl raised her eyebrow towards Gohan, but let the elderly lady continue. "He came out a few minutes later, a goofy smile on his lips. The medical staff rushed in to try and salvage the operation, only to discover that there was absolutely no sign of the injury. It was as if nothing had happened. They didn't believe it of course, thinking it to be some sort of illusion or whatnot. They ran extensive tests on you, but sure enough, you were totally healed. And Saiya-Man, was no where to be found. They're going to keep you a few days for observation though."

Videl gaped at her, then slowly back at her friend. It was true, the whole bean story wasn't a cover up. But how? Gohan was in for a mighty long interrogation, that's for sure.

"Now eat your food. If you need me, then just press this button." With that, the plump old women left, much to Gohan's dismay. She then looked at him, and contrary to what Gohan had imagined, she wasn't the least bit mad. Actually, it looked like she was a little ashamed. She looked downwards, not willing to make eye contact with the naïve boy, and murmured slightly.

"Thanks, you saved my life yet again."

"I didn't do it, the bean did." He answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

She smiled at him, "Yeah, but you're the one who gave me the bean."

"Not me, it was Piccolo who had it."

"Who's he?"

Gohan chuckled, "Long story. Another time."

Surprisingly, she just nodded her head and poked at the food with her fork. "Why does hospital food have to _look_ so…so…" She struggled to find the right word.

"Repugnant?" Gohan suggested, smiling again.

Sweat-dropping, she answered, "No. I was thinking more along the lines of 'YUCK'."

"Oh that was really the perfect word, Videl. Bravo. 'Yuck'…clear and concise. Another bastion of brevity!" Gohan clapped, smirking the whole time.

"Hey shut up! I just got shot here!"

Gohan's face suddenly turned dark, as he asked, "Who did this to you?" Videl was so surprised at the comment that she nearly let go of her food tray. His face had changed so abruptly from being carefree to a look akin to suppressed rage. His whole expression was rigid as his lips were set into a taught line, all pretext of playfulness gone. His eyes burned with fury, and voice had carried with it a stern edge, demanding an answer.

Feeling a little bit of fear, she managed to choke out, "I…I don't know. They…somehow caught on to the Chief's frequency, and called me to that alleyway. They looked like small time gangsters to me. I didn't see the guy who shot me too well. All I remember seeing were two R's, that's it."

He kept his eyes trained on her. They were like two hard emotionless orbs, until he sighed wearily, and rested his head back on her abdomen. A faint blush approached her cheeks at his movement, but she decided to wave it off considering his mood a second before.

"You gave me the biggest scare of my life, you know that?"

She smiled a little, "Oh? And here I was thinking you'd benefit the _most_ from Videl being put out of commission!"

"Hey!" He hugged her stomach a little tighter, still resting his head, a long forlorn look plastered on his face.

Videl's heart tugged at her again, watching him like this. What was it with the Son boys anyway? They could get anyone to sympathize with them, and she was no exception. She reached her hand out and ruffled his hair, saying softly, "Hey, don't worry big guy. I'm okay now. That's the main thing, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," he replied, still a bit down.

"Come on, cheer up. I'm the one who has to eat this pile of crap they call food!" She exclaimed, causing a small smile appear on his lips. Glancing at the radio, she suggested that they listen to some music to cheer them up. Flicking through the channels, she settled on her favorite station, still trying to ascertain if her food was edible or not. She made funny faces, exaggerating a little for Gohan's sake, until he chuckled.

"Come on, eat it already!"

She glanced at him, wrinkling her nose. "It looks so yucky," she complained, poking it incessantly.

"Poking the food isn't going to make it go away Videl. On the other hand, it'd only make it all the more disgusting when I have to shovel it down your throat!" Gohan quipped, looking up from her stomach.

She looked at him slyly, her eyes gaining a mischievous twinkle. Gohan gulped. This could not be anything good, he was sure. "Oh Gohan," she batted her eyelashes, which accentuated her deep-blue eyes that he was crazy about, "Can you get me a Snicker bar form the vending machine. Please? I promise I'll eat my food if you do." She smiled sweetly at him, still batting those damnable eyelashes. Gohan's emotions were tearing him up from the inside. One part of him just wanted to jump her on the hospitable bed and kiss her silly, and the other, the more rational of the two, was screaming danger signals at him like a crazed lunatic. His hand shaking uncontrollably, he silently nodded, and got out of the room as fast as he could. Videl smirked, having never doubted that he would fall for her plan hook, line and sinker.

_It's way too easy to get him to do what I want._

Still smirking, she emptied out the contents of the food tray from hell, disposing them in the trashcan. Taking a bunch of scrap papers she found on the table, she threw them in as well to hide the incriminating evidence. She had to learn at least some criminal techniques, considering the time she spent apprehending them and following on their leads. She closed her eyes and reveled in the song that was being played, humming the tune softly.

A little while later Gohan reappeared, munching contentedly on a Snicker bar. He didn't seem to have another one anywhere on him, nor did he make the move to offer some of his to her. Videl eyed him suspiciously waiting for him to justify his actions, but much to her chagrin all he did was stare back with those innocent looking eyes. Throwing up her arms, she cried, "Well?!"

Gohan tilted his head to the side, and after gulping down some of the masticated remains of his chocolate bar, replied, "Well what?"

Her suspicious stare had turned into an all-out glare, as she said slowly between clenched teeth, "WELL, where is my Snicker bar."

"I didn't get it," came the reply, sounding as natural as ever.

"Why?!"

"Well, when I went outside to cool down," he blushed slightly at that, "I realized something. It was painfully obvious that you were manipulating me to do your bidding, since your not allowed to eat candy when in observation." He glanced at her food try, which still had containers on it save this time they were empty. Eyeing her warily, he walked up to it and inspected the tray carefully.

"What? I finished it while you were gone. Let me tell you, I had to do it while pinching my nose shut." Videl tried sounding as sincere as possible, but perhaps it hadn't worked on Gohan.

He glanced at the trashcan, which only had scattered bits of paper on top. Sighing, he picked up the tray and placed on the small table on the side. He then returned to his seat by Videl's bed, still determined to have his way.

"You're still not getting any candy," he stated.

"Gohan! Come on, I'm hungry!" She whined, only to clamp her mouth shut a little too late.

"Aha! How come your hungry if you _just_ ate! Come on, Videl. Cough it up, what did you do to it." She still stared at him with her hand clamped on her mouth. "Did you force feed some poor kid that came in to wish you well?"

"What? I would never, I'm not _that_ sadistic." She exclaimed, pretending to be offended.

"Ok ok, but your NOT getting a candy bar." He nodded his head after that, as if to convince himself of that fact.

"Come on Gohan, please?"

"No," came the emphatic answer.

"Please?" She converted full force into pout mode, trying her hardest to seem as melancholy as possible.

Gohan refrained from looking at her face, knowing that if he did so the consequences would be disastrous. As much as he tried though, he could not prevent himself from yielding to temptation. Sneaking a quick glance he felt a pang of overwhelming guilt. Her gloomy face nearly shattered his heart like a fragile glass vase when subjected to the zany antics of the Infernal Duo. Sighing reluctantly, he threw his hands up in despair and exclaimed, "Alright! Here!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out another Snicker bar, handing it to the elated girl. "I hope you're happy!"

"Of course I am!" She reached over and pecked him on the cheek, then snuggled comfortably on the hospital bed with her newly acquired treat. Gohan had never felt so much heat rushing up to his face, and he was pretty sure his face could pass for a stop sign at this moment. Hand gently trailing the place where her soft lips had made contact, he stared at the happy girl munch on her candy bar whilst moving slightly to the beat of a new song.

_Man, she looks damn beautiful when she's happy. Woah, Gohan. Hold your horses there buddy. This is Videl we're talking about, not some ditzy air-head just looking for a date._

His mental debate was interrupted when Videl smacked him on the head. He looked up at her, "What?"

"Why were you staring off into space?"

"Um…I dunno." He shrugged his shoulders, not really wanting to inform Videl about his feelings for her.

She shook her head, "Man, sometimes you can be such a geek!"

Gohan just smiled back as she punched him in the shoulder. All ill-effects of the shooting seemed to have worn off. Either that, or she had excellent veiling skills with regards to her emotions which was entirely plausible. The song she had been listening to ended, and Gohan was getting tired with songs at the moment. Reaching over, he flicked the dial through random channels until the desired digits blinked back at him through the LCD display.

_Excerpt from Rockstar's __**GTA3**__ chatterbox radio channel_

Lazlow: "Alright Liberty City, you are listening to Chatterbox, the show that is the number one reason...for the success of the internet. Alright, let's take a call...who's on the line?"

Caller: "Clothes!"

Lazlow: "Wh...what about them?!"

Caller: "Clothes!"

Lazlow: "What are you talking about??"

Caller: "Lazlow...clothes!! Clothes, Lazlow! I hate 'em, I just hate 'em!"

Lazlow: "Eh...we're all about opinions on Chatterbox, which is Satan City's (Changed due to story context)premiere phone-in station. But...why don't you like clothes...?"

Caller: "I just hate them, they're so constricting! I mean does a lion wear clothes? And the lion is the king of the jungle! So why can't I, a humble citizen, go naked!?!"

Lazlow: "Well I mean I guess a lion has two distinct advantages over

you. One, I mean you say a king, and therefore it can exercise it's royal prerogative to not wear clothes, and two, it's a cat, and therefore doesn't have to, and three, I mean...now that I think about it...if you want to try to dress a lion you can, but...I guess what we're learning is that life can be a little unfair at times!"

Caller: "I'm naked, Lazlow!! I'm naked!!"

Lazlow: "I...you know...I really didn't need to know that!"

Caller: "Why Lazlow, why? Does it offend you?? I was born naked, I'm gonna die naked! I'm going to live naked! So there! There's nothing wrong with being naked!! It's so invigorating feeling the hot leather of a chair...or the cool wind from the north on your naked body."

Lazlow: "I..I...I'm gonna have to cut you off..."

Caller: "Don't you believe in free speech...and free expression? No, of

course you don't...all you believe in is free drinks!! I'm naked and there's not a damn thing you can do about it! I'm naked and I feel sooo good!"

Lazlow: "Wh...what about winter!?!"

Caller: "What d'you mean?!"

Lazlow: "You know...I mea...what about winter?! When the wind blows, and it's really cold...I mean...do you prance about like a ninny waiting for your privates to go blue??"

Caller: "I was born naked and I'm gonna die naked!!"

Lazlow: "Eh-heh...and all shriveled up by the sound of things!"

Caller: "Winter was invented by clothing companies! Clothes are unnecessary. They're ugly! Have you ever cooked in the nude??"

Lazlow: "Nah...look is this leading anywhere, cos I mean, we've got a lot of other people waiting to talk about real things here...!"

Caller: "Nudity is real! Open your eyes! Take off your pants, come on!!

Come on Lazlow, you can be a figure-head for Liberty City

naturists! We have more members now for the first time since

1977. Nudity is back! A lot of people are into nudity and really understand the spiritual side."

Lazlow: "What?!? Hanging out with loads of naked chicks? I mean I see

the fun in it, but...I just think that clothes have distinct

advantages. Like...like not accidentally cooking yourself, or...or when you're working on a building...!"

Caller: "We're not swingers! It's not about sex. It's about being one with the world."

Lazlow: "Alright dude, groovy, hug a rainbow..."

Lazlow: "Alright, thanks caller. Ants, killer bees, fat people, nude guys, what's plaguing you? Call now! Chatterbox, hello, you're on the on the air."

Caller: "Err yes...I'd like to say something about these damn people on trains and busses in this city who yammer on and on into their cell phones. I'm really glad to hear about what you're having for dinner! What we should do, is herd them up, and put them on an island. I am the President of a group called Citizens Raging Against Phones."

Lazlow: "CRAP?!?"

Caller: "Exactly!"

Lazlow: "Your organization's called 'CRAP'...wh...what kind of moron are you? You wanna round people up for using a phone?!? But you're calling up on a phone t...to tell the world about it! I mean, how many people are there in this 'crap'?"

Caller: "Citizens are raging against phones, Lazlow!!"

Lazlow: "How many people?"

Caller: "There are three of us. It's hard organizing meetings without the phones though. We've had to resort to carrier pigeons, and they keep disappearing."

Lazlow: "What are you speaking to me on? What...what's that in your hand?"

Caller: "I am not the problem! You are! And you're perpetuating the

downfall of mankind! Liberty City was great before phones ruined everything."

Lazlow: "Liberty City was a church, a cow pasture and 3 houses when the

telephone was invented!"

Caller: "Liar!!"

Lazlow: "You're the liar!"

Caller: "Liar, liar, pants on fire!"s

Lazlow: "What are...are you three years old?!?"

Caller: "Lazlow's a liar, Lazlow's a liar!! I bet that isn't even your

real name"

Lazlow: "Shut up!!"

Caller: "You shut up!!"

Lazlow: "Stupid!"

Caller: "Nanny nanny boo-boo, stick your head in doo-doo!"

Lazlow: "Ohh...we're going to commercials!"

Excerpt ended

Videl and Gohan couldn't hide their amused grins at the lively interaction going on in the radio. It truly was hilarious to hear unsuspecting callers making a total mockery of themselves over the public airwaves. But before our exasperated radio show host could denounce any more callers, a 'Special News Bulletin' interrupted regularly scheduled programming.

"Satan City's number one news team, Channel 1, brings to you ground breaking news. A large fire is blazing rampantly through an old folks' home near Orange Star High School. Firefighters are trying to valiantly…"

Gohan had heard enough, and looked at Videl with some worry. She stared back not hinting at any emotions she may have been feeling at the time. She pointed to the window, "Go."

"Videl, you know I won't leave you at a time like this, but I h—,"

"I know Gohan, go."

He looked at her one last time, then pressed the button on his watch initializing the cloaking mechanism. With a brief wave at the bedridden girl he dove out the window, white ki enveloping him as he blasted off.

She gazed at the retreating figure of Gohan—Saiya-Man—and whispered, "Be careful."

Gohan flew over Satan City in utter shock and confusion. He didn't know how someone could be so evil, so malevolent. The atrocity perpetrated at the retirement home was the most appalling example of human vindictiveness he had ever witnessed. A total of twenty-seven seniors had expired in the fire. Thirteen were burned so violently that it was impossible to identify their charred remains. If by some miracle they did find any solid remnant of the burned, for all that remained was ash and melted skin. One man, probably trying to escape, had suffered a tremendous blow to the skull possibly by falling debris. Needless to say, his brains were found two feet from him sizzling in the intense heat. The rest were burned horribly but were pronounced dead by asphyxiation, the lethal fumes suffocating their aged lungs. It was one of the most painful ways to die, Gohan was positive.

It was one of the most traumatizing experiences he would ever face, and he could still hear their terrified screams of pain and agony. He had vomited, heavily, not so much because of the sights and sounds. It was because of the smell. The rancid odor of charred human flesh quickly rendered him nauseous. He had been too late, and the all too familiar pain of failure resurfaced in him once again. He had failed to save them, even with his blessed abilities he had failed. Someone's father was gone today in the most painful manner. Little Johnny's Grandmother would no longer make pot roast for him, and give him sweet butterscotch. He had lost. Again.

(A/N-Alright, hope anyone ain't spewing after that graphic depiction. To other things. I know, I know! Commas are really not my specialty. Really, I don't get them. All I know about 'em is that they separate two clauses, which convey the same idea or thought in the sentence.

Now we certainly need some comic relief after that ending…)

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."

-Mark Twain


	10. Emancipation

Emancipation

"'Tis better to have loved and lost  
Than never to have loved at all."

**-Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)**

"What the hell do you mean she was shot?!" Boomed the stentorian voice, not showing even the least bit of consideration for the other hospitalized patients. The middle-aged nurse behind the counter was frantically shuffling through various papers, a fearful look on her round face.

"I…She was admitted…I mean…yes…today afternoon, at about…" Hercule's seething features rattled her body with fear, as she tried to find Videl's computer printout.

"WELL! What the hell are you waiting for?! What room?! My poor baby, she must be scared and alone! Hurry up will you!" As was painfully obvious, Hercule was not one to stay calm and collected in any sort of calamity, let alone defeat a bio-engineered killing machine without drenching his lower garments. Assuming the worst, Hercule grabbed a random white-coat from the steady stream of people in the hallway and lifted him clear above his head. For a human, Hercule definitely rested in the upper echelon of martial artists in the world today. In fact, since the super powered Saiya-jin Goku and his friends had not been entering the tournament for quite some time, he had won easy. Still clutching the collar of the cowering doctor, he screamed, "Where is my baby?! Is she going to live! She better, or else I'll play table tennis with your ba—."

"Room 1002!" The nurse exclaimed triumphantly, printout in her hand.

Hercule dropped the shaking doctor on the tiled floor, and snatched the printout from the nurse's pudgy hand. Without showing as much as a small token of gratitude, the lumbering oaf dashed towards the elevator. A small assembly of people, doctors and visitors alike, were patiently waiting for the metallic double doors to slide open. However, the Champion of the World had no need to engage in such menial activities as waiting. Patience, it seemed, is not a virtue pervasive in the Satan household.

"Out of the way! Champ coming through! Move!" Any poor soul that hadn't had the reflexes of a cat was literarily thrown five feet in the air by the rampaging braggart. Upon realizing that the elevator was still at the third floor, he started pounding viciously on the metal, leaving fist imprints the size of a salad bowl. If anyone had seen the Champ up close, they would have concluded that he was a scary sight indeed. His bulky physique, broad shoulders and hirsute arms portrayed the image of a Neanderthal savage. His utterly embarrassing afro did nothing to sway that image, but rather it contributed to it.

"Open up you stupid thing!" He hollered as his face contorted into a look of pure fury. Inevitably the doors opened, to reveal several people hunched up against the corners trembling in fear. "GET OUT!"

Scrambling for dear life, they scurried out of the lift, straying a hefty distance from the peeved father. Dashing in, he slammed the '10' button and glared at the people who also needed to use the lift. His obsidian eyes promised slow and painful death if anyone dared to venture into the elevator.

The trip was painfully slow, and Hercule had to refrain himself from bashing in its electrical console. But surprisingly, and unfortunately as well, he had realized that he would be locked inside this gravity-defying cube if he did. With a high 'ting', the doors slid open and Hercule dashed out, running over the poor laundry dude in the process. Not caring to apologize, or even help the downed hospital intern, he darted in to the corridor searching for the room. He found it soon enough, and barged in like he owned the place, which incidentally wouldn't be much off the mark.

"Are you in there princess! It's me, daddy!" Finding her scowling on the hospital bed, he approached her with a look of _genuine_ concern on his face. "It'll be all okay now, daddy's here." He said, brushing her hair behind her ears.

"Dad, could you have been any quieter? I mean, I hardly even heard you come in!" Videl exclaimed, still scowling.

"It's okay now honey! Daddy will make it all better. How are you feeling?" Hercule had made no attempt to acknowledge the sarcastic comment his daughter had just given him, ignoring it as if it wasn't said.

"Don't worry dad, I'm okay." She sighed, her voice becoming soft again.

"Are you sure honey? You don't want me to call the best doctors in the world? I think we should take you to America for a check-up!"

"Dad, chill okay. The bullet wound has been completely healed. Look," she pulled up her gown, covering the exposed parts with the covers. The resulting effect was that the gown was scrunched up under her breasts, exposing the stomach underneath, while the white sheets covered everything from her hips downward. Hercule glanced at the unscathed skin and narrowed his eyes, suspecting foul play.

"How in the HELL did a bullet wound heal so goddamned quickly!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You don't need to SCREAM Dad!" Videl yelled in response, irritated at her Father's inconsiderate behavior. Her father though, would have none of it.

"Listen Videl! I am your FATHER and I can YELL if I WANTED to! You HEAR me?!" A vein was comically bulging out in his forehead as he angrily yelled at his bed-ridden daughter.

"Of COURSE I heard you! I'd be surprised that people in AMERICA didn't hear you!" Videl's anger was surging to the point of no return. It was funny how her Father decided to show his love for his only daughter by yelling at her in a hospital bed. That was either one perverted sense of paternal love, or a testament to their drifting relationship. Videl was inclined to believe that the latter professed a far more accurate assessment of her family life.

"Why you little INSOLENT b—," his enraged invective was cut short by a periodic ringing of a bell. Hercule glared at his daughter for a bit longer, who not wanting to be outdone returned a glower that would make Gohan shake in his boots. Reaching into his pocket he produced a sleek cellular, which had been undoubtedly the cause for the ringing.

"Yeah?…NO…yes of course I remember!" He glanced at Videl, who was scowling menacingly while she kept her hands crossed in front of her. "Yes, yes. Ok…Just wait a few minutes…Fine…" He snapped his phone shut, again concealing it in his front pocket.

She refused to look at him, or even acknowledge his presence for that matter. "Videl, I have to go now. I will be back later and we will settle this. It will give you time to think about what you've done." With that he spun around, and marched out the slamming the door behind him. Videl stared ahead at the whitewashed walls, trying to come to terms with this new development. She fought back the surge of tears, deciding this time that she had cried too much over her ailing relationship with her father. But try as she might, those wet droplets of salt water leaked out anyway, streaming down her soft cheeks.

Burying her head in the pillows she let the small tears leak out, wiping them off immediately after they poured out of her eyes. She didn't like crying. Crying was the sign of fragility. That fact was especially stereotyped upon women, like her, who were _expected_ to cry over these sentimental developments in their life. She wasn't like that was she? She needed to be independent, or else she would be devoured. It wasn't so much that she wanted to be rough and tough, bitchy, and an all out attitude wielding bitter vixen. She needed to be it, or else she wouldn't survive. She needed to preserve her basic instinct of sentience, or else the world is going to eat her, chew her up, and spit her out alongside the trash. She had nobody. She didn't have the luxury to fall back on some other person, or know that that person would be there for her. As much as it stung, she wouldn't cry. If she cried now, all those years of valiant fighting for her defense would be rendered useless. She was alone. And no one would understand.

Gohan walked into room '1002' to find his beautiful friend sleeping. Or at least that was his first impression. Her face was buried into the white pillow, the covers pulled tight above her petite body. Walking up to her, he stooped down to make sure that she was really slumbering. He had his doubts though, for her diaphragm hadn't settled into a rhythmic methodical pattern yet. In fact, her breathing was getting progressively erratic, like she was tense about something. Slowly reaching his hand out, he pushed her shoulder to the side to expose her face. He was shocked to see that her eyes were streaked with red, like she had been crying before. On the other hand though, he could not make out any tears or any signs that indicated to tears. The pillow wasn't wet, and her cheeks didn't have any residue on them.

Gohan employed his remarkable skills of deduction to reason that she must have been crying, because her eyes had lost that spark and she had a forlorn look plastered on her face. He reached out and slowly brushed away one of her silky bangs, saying softly, "What happened?"

Videl stared back at him, feeling the urge to burst out crying yet again. Forcibly suppressing it she croaked out, "It's okay. N…Nothing really."

"Videl, something must be wrong. You can tell me." He reasoned with her, still brushing her soft raven hair.

She sighed, closing her eyes. "It's just my father. He came. And we had another fight. We're drifting so far apart I'm afraid we're not going to able to reconcile later on. Then I'll truly be…" She stopped short, disgusted that she pitied herself so much, and in front of the man she was sure she loved.

Gohan just nodded in understanding. He wasn't about the broach the subject again, concluding that it would only make her more dejected than before. He needed to cheer her up after the trauma she had gone through today, so fittingly, he dropped the subject.

"Hey Videl, I got you your clothes." He then smirked at her, trying to lighten the depressed mood. "I was going to let you suffer in your _duck_ gown, but decided against it."

She smiled weakly, deducing the obviousness of his plan. "If I have to spend one more minute swimming with these ducks, I'm gonna hurt someone." She then extended a wicked smile his way, "Specifically, you."

He gulped sarcastically, throwing her garments on her lap. "I think they were in the laundry basket when that guy spewed earlier today. Yeah, come to think of it. I am certain they were right at the top when he spewed!"

Gohan ducked as a hospital pen whizzed passed him, followed by other unidentifiable objects. "You're so sick GOHAN!"

"Okay okay. Chill. You might poke my eye out with these things," he exclaimed, holding up a white ballpoint pen.

"Here, hold this up while I change." She gestured towards the white sheets covering her lower body. Gohan blushed crimson, the heat once again rushing to his face. The simple notion of Videl being naked was dizzying, regardless if she was concealed from view behind some stupid bed sheets. Twilight was fast approaching outside, and the horizon shimmered with an orange afterglow. He held up the sheets as high as he could, averting his gaze to the floor, which seemed remarkably fascinating at this point. Sometimes his gaze would automatically divert itself back towards the bed sheet, her sexy silhouette boasting the smooth contours of her body. His blush would then intensify tenfold, as he would hastily avert his eyes back towards the floor. The cycle repeated itself for about a minute, until Videl called out from behind, "Okay. You can let it go now."

Sighing heavily in relief, some remorse clearly evident, he let go of the sheet and sat down trying to calm his spinning head. That, and something else…

"I talked to your doctor. He said that they could see nothing wrong with you. They wanted to hold you overnight for observation, but I convinced them that the best thing right now is for you to go home and sleep."

"Really? I get to go home. WOW! BIG WHOOP!" She exclaimed, sarcasm dripping from her lips.

Gohan snickered, "At least you don't need to eat hospital food now."

Her eyes brightened as she realized the implications of that statement. "YES! You're the best Gohan!" She flung herself off the bed and into his arms, hugging him with remarkable enthusiasm.

_She must of really hated hospital food,_ Gohan surmised, blushing from the abundance of attention he was getting.

"Woah," Videl swayed a little, holding on to his shoulders for support.

"Hey Videl, you okay?" His face creased up in worry, as he stared at her small form.

"Yeah, yeah. Just a little woozy for some reason."

"Must be the morphine," Gohan cracked, grinning like an idiot.

"Shut up, you geek." She punched him on the shoulder, still holding on with her other arm for support.

"Well M'lady. Shall we leave?" He gestured to the door, mocking the English customs of old.

She giggled, as he bent down in genuflect, sweeping broadly with his arms.

"Yeah lets go." As Gohan turned to exit the hospital room, he felt her small hand grab his arm. He turned to see her squirming shyly, her eyes fixed on the floor. "Can we…Can you fly me home? I really want to know how it feels to fly."

He grinned broadly, watching her timid movements. "Whatever you want, M'Lady," he drawled, causing her to smile as well.

He walked up to her and picked her up in his arms, Videl squeaking at the sudden movement. She wrapped her arms around his neck to maintain her balance, although Gohan could have easily steadied her regardless.

With practiced movements, he hopped on to the ledge of the window, leaning forward a little as if to give Videl the impression that he would drop her. "Look Videl, we're nearly ten stories up. Everyone looks so tiny!"

She clung on to him tighter, peeking down at the ground below. She was sure she didn't have acrophobia, for she flew in her copter without a second thought. But being out in the open, nothing around to cover you, no seatbelts, did give her a slight feeling reminiscent to fear. Gohan lurched, letting his arms drop to his sides while Videl squealed, nearly choking him with the death grip she had on his neck.

"This is your captain speaking. We're experiencing turbulence right now, please cling on to any unsuspecting necks as tight as you can until it clears. Please be advised that the no smoking sign is on, and you should fasten your seatbelts. Have a nice trip and fly Saiya-Man!"

"Gohan!" He smiled and cradled her in his arms again, feeling the pressure being relieved from his neck. She smacked him hard on his helmet, exclaiming, "You do that again and I swear I'll make sure you wont be having kids any time soon!"

Gohan chuckled, and took off, feeling his neck again being squeezed as Videl buried her face in his chest. "Come on, Videl. The view is great from up here!"

She slowly peeked over her shoulder, and took a sharp intake of breath. He was right. The view was amazing, the dense clusters of houses and apartment complexes whizzing past them at a dizzying speed. Truly, the experience was everything she imagined to be and more. She felt like she was soaring, the spectacular view never ceasing to catch her breath every time her eyes ventured downwards. Even watching the fluffy white clouds zoom past them was in itself worth the whole trip. She was sure many people would sell their grandmothers without a second thought, just to be feeling the sensation of soaring through the open air, unhindered by glass panes and mechanical whirring. But alas, as all things, this had to come to an end as well.

She frowned noticeably when her father's all too familiar glamorous dwelling came into view, sticking out like a sore thumb in the municipality. She had to admit that the aerial view of her home was something to behold, regardless of how much she had begun to despise it. It had an enormous front yard decorated with various fountains and statues, giving the neatly trimmed lawn artistic appeal like no other. The twilight had receded into night, and the dazzling row of lights illuminated the lawn. The wrought-iron gates barred entrance to the driveway—which could pass for a small avenue really—leading up to the threshold of the extravagant veranda. What was even more impressive was the profligate selection of exotic vehicles neatly lined up on the side. Everything from Italian roadsters to sleek British luxury, and the lure of German engineering alongside Japanese dependability, could be seen in the vast collection.

Gohan wasn't one to be impressed very quickly. He was quite used to witnessing the affluent propagate their wealth by extravagant purchases and dwellings. All the times he had frequented the Capsule Corporation could attest to that statement. But Bulma Briefs was a much more conservative person when compared to the bulk of the Satan City aristocracy. Sure she had a huge mansion and many other paraphernalia associated with the insanely wealthy, but she had more of a tendency to do something constructive rather than engage in a vainglorious display of wealth and prestige. She preferred being locked up in her laboratory pondering upon the mechanics of her latest innovation over attending parties and balls.

"Hey Gohan, are you just gonna stare at my house gawking like a moron or are we going to go in?" Videl asked, amused at his reaction to her house.

"Huh?" He quickly snapped out of his dazed reverie, trying his hardest not to blush.

"That one right there is my balcony." She pointed to the west wing of the mansion, where a balcony protruded out from its second story. He nodded dumbly and proceeded towards it, still gawking at the plethora of automobiles parked down below. As he approached it however, he noticed that there was a minimal amount of decorative ornaments inside. The balcony door was already opened, letting in the cool fall breeze filter into its roomy confines.

Gawking in awe, Gohan entered her spacious room momentarily forgetting the position he had Videl in. The room was absolutely gigantic, its dimensions encompassing perhaps his entire house back in the country. Also, the errantly dispersed furniture were exquisitely carved from the finest woods he had ever seem. A large four-poster bed lined one wall, covered with satin sheets and two large pillows. It definitely was larger than any king size bed he had seen in those department stores. He felt someone poking him in the arm repeatedly. Looking down he saw Videl's expectant face, as if she was urging him to do something.

"What?"

"Umm...You can let me go now."

Still surveying his surroundings in admiration, he hadn't noticed he was backing up nor did he notice that she was still in cradled in his arms. When he realized that there was a leather sofa behind him, it had been too late. With a short yelp they both tumbled down onto its cushions, Gohan in an awkward sitting position with Videl positioned sideways on his lap. They both blushed with embarrassment, stuttering incomprehensible apologies and whatnot.

"I…sorry. I wasn't looking." Gohan though, couldn't help but stare into the azure depths of her eyes, enchanted by their beauty. They had this amazing control over him, like the pied piper's tune had had on the mice. It was something resembling hypnosis. He lost himself in those eyes, and for some reason he didn't want to be found.

"Gohan." She said softly, staring back into his obsidian orbs. They were soft and inviting, their warmth alluring her forward. She inched closer, not so much by will, but by instinct, driving her on.

"I've never kissed anyone before, Videl," Gohan whispered, unaware that the gap between them was gradually decreasing.

"Neither have I."

"Does that mean you don't know how?" The night cast ghostly shadows across her room, some of them playing softly over her beautiful features. She looked pure and elegant, like the angel he knew she was.

"No. Do you?" The distance between them was reduced to about an inch. Gohan could feel her warm breath tickle the top of his nose, as he inched closer and nuzzled it faintly on her face.

"No."

"I can't think of anyone I'd like to try it with then you, Gohan." She closed her eyes and moved yet even closer, tilting her head to the side to try and bypass his nose. But when she did, his nose somehow had gotten in the way. Opening her eyes she realized that he had tilted his face in the same direction as she did, effectively canceling out her movement. Deciding to tilt the other way, she closed her eyes again and moved closer. But yet again his cute nose had obstructed her access to his lips. Peering at him she laughed, noticing that he had decided to tilt his head the other way at the same time she did.

"Can't get it right can we?" Gohan asked, smiling at her.

"We will…" She moved her hands off his neck and cupped his cheeks, slightly tilting it to the right. Slanting her own head the opposite way, she leaned forward as their lips finally met in a gentle embrace. Kissing her softly, Gohan could think of no other thing then how soft her lips were. Their lips lingered together for a few moments more, finally ending as they gently parted from one another.

"Wow."

"I've never felt this close to anyone before, Gohan. Not since my m—," she stopped herself again, lowering her gaze. Gohan reached out and stroked her cheek, absentmindedly brushing away some errant locks.

"Videl. You have to stop doing this to yourself. You can't continue on like this."

She looked back at him in slight confusion, not understanding why he had said that. He sighed, and pulled her in closer with a hug. Feeling herself being pulled into an embrace, she put her hands around his back, resting her head on his broad chest.

"I know it hurts. But you have to let it go, or else it'll stay locked inside of you forever." He was gently brushing his hand over her silky tresses of hair, soothing her as he reasoned with her emotions.

"Let me tell you a story about yourself. When you realize what you have been doing to yourself all these years, then perhaps you'll understand what I am saying. I know that before, you felt immensely loved and happy with your parents. You were their only child, and they pampered you with all the affection they could give you. You were happy. Genuinely happy, as most kids are at that age. Their only concerns were where they had left their favorite toy, or when their favorite show would be on. I can imagine that in your blissful state, you were never prepared to confront the next turn of events. When your mother died," he felt her hands clutch the cloth on his back, her embrace tightening as she buried her face deeper into him. He knew he was hurting her, to bring up all those emotions that were suppressed deep inside her. But he also knew that this had to be done, to set her free from her self-incarceration, her bondage.

"When your mother died, it devastated both of you. Not as much as it was because of death, but more because of the suddenness of it. Totally unexpected death. It caught both of you off guard emotionally. What that sudden death left in its wake was a shattered man, and a confused little girl. You didn't know why this was happening to you. Why your mother was taken at such an early age. I think you harbored the usual child conception that people die of old age only. What you needed then was the love and support of your father, to understand you and to soothe your worries and fears. However, it never came. He was too distraught over the incident to ever assess it with a cool head. Dejected and empty, he neglected his responsibilities and entered into a period of regression."

Videl's head was swimming at this point with the sudden insurgence of emotions. How did he understand her innermost thoughts? How did he know she felt these things? How did he understand her? No one could understand what she went through, she was sure. He was reading her life like a book, written somewhere on her like an autobiography.

"You tried valiantly to bounce back from her death. You tried to divert your attention away from her, but every attempt to catch your father's attention failed. When your mother died, you lost them both."

She clutched him tighter, feeling her eyes well up with tears that were begging to be shed. They needed to be shed. But as was her policy, she couldn't cry. She had to resist it, no matter how much Gohan tried.

"After that realization, you cried your heart out. With all that was happening, the little girl couldn't deal with it anymore. Not alone. You sought refuge in tears, until one day you couldn't cry anymore. You just couldn't, you were totally exhausted from it. You were rendered bitter and cynical, at the tender age of ten. You concocted this notion that all this was happening because of you. You loved them too much, and now that they were gone, you had nothing. You decided that there was nothing more painful than the hurt of losing someone you loved, and you couldn't bear to go through with it anymore. Not again. The only way you could do that though, was if you didn't love anybody anymore. You couldn't get close to people, or else you would inevitably come to care about them. As a friend, or as a lover, or even just as another authority figure, you couldn't get close. But you knew…You knew that if you let the real Videl be shown then there would be no way to stop people from getting close."

"You are too likable, too affable to maintain any state of emotional aloofness. Even if you tried your hardest to stop caring about them, you would eventually weaken. So you had to stop being pleasant. You had to create this alter personality. This pseudo-Videl. One that was always bitter and indifferent to the worldly happenings. It was sort of like erecting a firewall around yourself, one that was self-sufficient and can handle the task of social interaction. Sometimes we would see glimpses of the real you, only to be subsequently quelled by your new persona. What was more, this pseudo-Videl became as much a part of yourself as was the real you. The first two years, I surmised, were probably the hardest for pseudo-Videl to be established." He had most "affectionately" dubbed her wall of protection "pseudo-Videl", not wanting to actually brand the real Videl with that sort of derogatory insinuation.

"You had to forcibly maintain this new persona during the bulk of your day, and consequently, after a couple of years of this routine you sub-consciously integrated it into your personality. Soon, being pseudo-Videl wasn't a difficult task to do. It just came naturally, like instinct. You had locked yourself away deep inside, imprisoned yourself in a cocoon of sorts. You know when you complained to me earlier that you wanted to be recognized for your own merit, and not because you were the daughter of Hercule? Well how could you expect people to identify you, when you don't show them the real you? Pseudo-Videl, she was too two-dimensional. Videl, you can't force yourself like this. Love is irrational. The brain will never be able to gauge the dimensions of love properly, that is the heart's job. You can't love with your mind. You have to stop concealing your heart in this cocoon. You have to love with your HEART and not with what your mind is telling you!"

He knew he was getting through to her, as he felt a little wetness in the middle of his chest. But she still was restraining herself, holding back. She still harbored that baseless principle that crying was for the weak.

"Videl, your Mother has died! She's gone, but you live! And she would never want you to live like this! You have to realize just as I, that it is better to have loved and then lost than never to have loved at all! Your mother would have wanted that," he said softly at the end, his pitch sharply contrasting his previous tone. Finally, that had done it. It had ruptured that façade of aloofness that had plagued her since her traumatic childhood. It had freed her from the clutches of her cocoon, like a butterfly gaining emancipation.

She broke down into violent sobs, wailing loudly on his chest. Her body convulsed fiercely as she bawled her heart out in his warm embrace. He didn't say anything, nor did he interrupt her. As much as it pained him from the inside, to make his love cry like that, he knew that it had to be administered.

"SHE WAS MINE!" She exclaimed through sobs, "THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE HER!" Her body broke into even more convulsions, as she shed all the tears that had accumulated over her years of regression. "THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO LEAVE ME ALONE! She left me…" Her wailing had stopped, but that hadn't ceased her crying. Gohan clutched her tightly, letting her weep as much as she wanted in his embrace. No matter what, he pledged, he would be there for her in her time of need. He had to. She believed she had nobody. She now knew, though, that she had him.

It seemed like she had cried for hours and hours on end. Her weeping had receded into a small and faintly discernable sobbing. That too, though, had to end some time. And when it did, she felt a little awkward. She had been crying so long, that she had nothing left in her to fuel the sorrow. She had nothing left to cry over. She was finally free, feeling a heavy burden lifted off her shoulders rendering her light as a feather. She now knew that death and birth are part of a cycle, and it's not these things that one should learn to fear, but the duration in between that one must make worthwhile.

She slowly eased out of Gohan's grip, wiping her eyes with her sleeve in the process. "Sorry."

"About what?"

"That." She pointed to his drenched shirt. If one had wrung it over a bucket, there would assuredly be enough water to overflow its quarters.

"Wow. My personality must be rubbing off on you."

She looked at him curiously, trying to comprehend its implications.

"You're now apologizing for things that don't need apologizing," he pointed out, smiling broadly. Reaching out his strong hand, he wiped off the remnants of the salty tears from her soft cheeks. She blushed, averting her gaze downwards in an insanely cute manner. He always observed that whenever she got shy, which was not often mind you, she had the tendency to look cuter than ever before.

"Gohan. I…I have to tell you something."

He chuckled heartily, earning an indignant stare from his beautiful friend. "It's just…Before you were dogging me incessantly to tell you "something", and now you want to tell me "something"!"

She smiled, still fixating her eyes on his chest, avoiding eye contact. "Over these past few weeks, you broke that "firewall" that you had been talking about. I mean, you got close to me as no one had ever done before. I…I was taken by surprise. I didn't know what I was feeling, and I didn't even know if I wanted to be feeling these things. But now I know, without a shadow of a doubt. I know that I…I love you."

Gohan reeled back in shock. Although his mission was to set her free from her emotional confines, he never knew that this would be its aftereffect. In fact, if he _did_ know that this would have resulted, he would have done it much sooner!

Discouraged by his shocked demeanor, she quickly averted her eyes again. She knew she may have cried, but right now she was totally spent. She had to face rejection dry, and everything Gohan had worked for was practically rendered useless. She felt empty again.

"I'm sorry for ruining our relationship. I'm so sorry." She whispered dejectedly, searching her emotions again for something worthwhile to latch on to. She found nothing. Her heart, her soul, even her mind was telling her that Gohan was the one.

"How dare you! How dare you even say something like that?!" Videl felt fear gripping her, as she came to the realization that she had damaged their special relationship irreparably. How could she have been so stupid?

"How dare you say you're sorry for the best thing that ever happened to my life?" She jerked her head up, staring into his obsidian eyes a faint glimmer of hope evident.

"Gohan?"

"Videl. I've loved you, well, ever since I met you. I honestly can't remember a time when I hadn't." He grinned goofily, and swept forward to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. At first her eyes had widened with surprise, but when she realized what was going on, she gave in to temptation. She kissed him back, sucking on his upper lip with newfound enthusiasm. They broke off, desperately trying to inhale enough oxygen to satisfy their screaming lungs.

"You had to make it as melodramatic as possible, huh Gohan? You couldn't just say you loved me and got it over with?"

"Nah, it would bore the people."

"You're such a geek!" She squeaked as he grabbed her waist and pulled, compressing her petite form into his as he ravaged her mouth with a crazed fervor.

(A/N-Alright, that was…different. Frankly I think that that was a shallow attempt to instill some depth into Videl's character. Bah humbug.)


	11. Banality of Human Saiyajin? Nature

Banality of Human (Saiya-jin?) Nature

"Take fifty of our current proverbial sayings-- they are so trite, so threadbare. None the less they embody the concentrated experience of the race, and the man who orders his life according to their teachings cannot be far wrong."

**-Norman Douglas**

He hadn't known for how long they had been there. Had it not been for the ridiculously expensive gold wall clock, its jewelry embedded rendition of a bird "chirping" every hour, he would not even be able to discern the time. He could feel the diminutive form in his arms, rhythmically undulating, as she slept peacefully. For all that she had to experience today; her liberation from self-imposed restrictions, her expression of love, and her final acceptance of it, Gohan had thought the rest was well deserved.

Stroking her soft, silky hair, he gently carried her over to the large bed. It still looked like it hadn't been slept in for weeks—probably due to the professionalism of the household servants, who had skillfully eradicated any remnants of disarray in the room. He amorously placed her between the satin sheets, pulling up the covers as the moonlight cast subtle patches of light on her face. In the ethereal illumination, she looked surreal. Of course, Gohan had had many a mental debate regarding the notion if she was human or not, finally concluding that she was an angelic version of a woman. A nymph so to speak, only revealing frustrating glimpses of the true beauty underneath. It was a much more alluring prospect to him, than the many hedonistic whores that gallivant off with equally morally repugnant swine, all for a "night out" and the subsequent bed sport that was sure to follow.

He couldn't quite grasp the concept of it, as incredulous as that might seem. It was totally nonconforming to the stereotype of males in society. Gohan though, was different. He wasn't looking to be "laid" so to speak. He wasn't trying to be friendly, and compassionate, just to reap the benefits of that behavior in the end. He was too naïve to ever grasp the sexual innuendo in most of the flirtatious gestures by his High School contemporaries—the female populace of course. By far though, he wasn't enticed by the lure of the quick relationship, which was generally a lewd implicit agreement before hand between both parties. He just wanted her. And, much to his surprise and delight, she reciprocated those feelings. He had once thought, after that dreadful fire, that he had hit rock bottom and things could only go up from there. Looks like his prayers were answered.

Kissing her soft cheek, he murmured a reluctant farewell and departed from the spacious confines of her room.

"Look man, this has gone far enough." The unkempt man said exasperated. He had enough of this. At first it wasn't so…evil. It was just business, and a man has to put food on his table regardless of how he does it. The world was cruel, and shone its rays of hope on a select few, whilst the others deteriorated in pools of immorality and filth until they could deteriorate no more. Social Darwinism; no one could escape the clutches of Natural Law.

"Whether you like it or not, you cannot have out. Once you're in, there is no turning back. No regrets. This is the life you chose, the seeds you've sown, and in this life you only possess, what you can reap. Your soul has been lost in the sands of time. In exchange, you can garner the benefits from that sacrifice. If you don't, then you've lost both here, and in the afterlife." His stoic demeanor uttered those words with total apathy. It wasn't as if he was threatening the coward, nor was it that he was trying to reason with him. He was stating the universal maxim of organized crime. He was just stating what the other already knew.

"I…I can change…I can be forgiven, I can get it back! I can get it back! It's not lost. No way. I'm getting it back! I must." Blubbering erratically, the semi-delusional thug wandered out on to the desolate street. That statement was using his skull as a resonating chamber, echoing on and on, mocking him. Scoffing. Deriding.

'If you don't, then you've lost both here, and in the afterlife.'

Over and over again. How could he have gambled that? How could he have wagered eternity for the brief success of blood money? If he were to lose now, then he would really be broke. After his brief introspect, he concluded that his most decisive course of action would be cutting his losses now and moving on, instead of riding out the storm and losing in the end. Without further delay, he ran as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.

"Kill him."

Android 17 heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, after seemingly a millennia of anxious waiting, the effervescent blonde in front of him had paid for her many items. He couldn't understand why anyone would be compelled to shop at such early hours in the morning. He quickly approached the cashier and handed her a twenty-dollar bill, and then walked along.

"Sir, wait! You have change!"

"Keep it," came the collected voice, not bothering to glance behind him and acknowledge the generous gesture.

He walked briskly out the store and onto the street. He had to get some place isolated, so he could use his usual mode of transport. Problem was, with so many people hustling and bustling along with their lives—the morning pedestrian commuters—spotting a secluded area would require a vigorous search. Before he could deliberate upon his alternatives though, a portly fellow dashed past him knocking quite a few pedestrians over in the process. Right behind him were two men in black suits, hot in pursuit.

After the events of last night, one would undoubtedly expect that the young half-Saiya-jin would wake to a glorious new day that would pave way to a fresher, happier future. After all he had only attained his source of infatuation for several weeks, a goal his massive inferiority complex had dubbed impossible. His morning though, was anything but what was anticipated.

Instead of finding the lively chirping of birds as a bright start to his day, he found them rather annoying to his sensitive hearing. He didn't know why though, because usually he found the incessant chirps to be pleasant early in the day. He had this lurking, pervasive guilt sagging on his shoulders. A responsibility so overbearing that it even surpassed the magnitude of the one placed on him at the Cell games. He had heard, or perhaps read, somewhere of an aphorism bastioned by a comic book superhero. How did it go again?

"With great power comes great responsibility"

It seemed ironic that in the world of make-believe, and the social and psychological instances analyzed therein of persons confronted with that sort of power, had painted a much more vivid picture of his own life then previously imagined. Everyone thinks that stuff that happens in comic books are always too far-fetched to ever actually be witnessed in real life. People though, would love to attain those powers in any which way possible. They never really deliberate upon the repercussions of such a move. They don't realize the responsibility and the duties that become mandatory upon being granted those powers.

Just ask Son Gohan, and he'd say that his only wish—now that the one about his love life has been answered—was to maintain some semblance of normalcy in his hectic life. Would you like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders when you were eleven? Would you have explained to the masses of dead why you had failed to ensure their safety, if your bid was unsuccessful? Most people love the carefree life, the life of least responsibility and one that maximizes fun. Son Gohan too, like any other teenager, wanted to be carefree and enjoy these years of typical freedom.

He had awoken very early because of these issues plaguing his conscience. So early, that even his mother hadn't started preparing his morning meal, and the packing of his enormous lunch. The last rays of sunshine were just making it over the horizon, the orange glow receding into its bright successor. Deciding that he needed to be out in the open to shake these thoughts, he left a small note for his mother and headed towards school. Of course, he wouldn't actually enter the school so early. He had planned to do some early morning rounds of Satan City, simultaneously battling through his conflicting thoughts and also ensuring the civilian protection. But try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling of impeding doom lurking about on the horizon.

Before he could immerse himself in self-loathing once more, his attention was drawn to some yelling down below. He had been flying for sometime now, perhaps for a couple of hours or so, and was currently somewhere downtown along the harbor. Squinting his eyes, he saw that some fellow was knocking down pedestrians like they were bowling pins. Scowling in irritation, he swooped down low to maintain order once again.

He had just landed on the ground, when he once again was shocked by human nature. The obese fellow dashed over the guardrail and on to the grassy embankment. Without so much as a glance at his pursuers, he jumped approximately twenty feet to the watery depths below. The two men in black had other plans, and retrieved what looked like two pistols. Callously they fired, repeatedly, into the murky Satan Harbor waters. The gunshots rang out loudly, scattering the flock of pigeons nearby, and sending the populace into a screaming frenzy. Saiya-Man, caught right in the middle, had to fight with the strong current of people frantically rushing for cover.

The two men were dissatisfied with the results, but having already seen the caped hero they fled into the mass of people, blending in as much as they could with the mass hysteria. Saiya-Man immediately took to the air, dashing towards the Harbor to discern if they had actually hit the man. He doubted it, not only because of the poor visibility due to heavy water pollution, but also because the water friction would slow the bullet down and render it useless after some time. If the man had swam deep enough, he would be protected. Although, he even doubted the fat guy's ability to actually swim that deep, and in that small amount of time. It was about a fifty-fifty chance of survival. Soon, someone surfaced from the murky depths halting his thoughts, dragging with him a body. The person astonished Saiya-Man by actually flying out of the water and onto the embankment, setting his rather wide load there.

Gohan went over and immediately cringed, seeing six bullet wounds decorating the man's chest. Blood was seeping onto the grass, and the man's complexion was deathly pale. Undoubtedly, he was dead. Looking at the courageous Samaritan who tried to rescue him, he was met with a pleasant surprise. It was Android 17, thankfully no longer hell bent on wreaking havoc, but one who finally settled down as a farmer. Or something of the like, Gohan didn't quite recall the details.

"Hey 17!"

The Android peered at the visor in confusion, and then a knowing smirk soon was plastered on his face. "Gohan…What kind of freakish costume party are you dressed up for?"

Gohan quickly scowled, exclaiming, "Not you too 17! Geez, to think. What the hell would you know about fashion anyway? "

The android just smiled, and then commented rather seriously. "We better leave Mr. Potato-Head here for the authorities. Lets see if we can find the shooters."

Nodding solemnly, Gohan blasted into the sky trailed shortly after by 17. Gohan had a very good hunch that these organized criminals would have some pertinent information regarding Videl's assassination attempt. Casting an eagle eye down at his surroundings, Gohan soon yelled in triumph. Sure enough, both men-in-black were still trying to fight their way through the throngs of people. They finally managed to seek refuge in an alleyway, away from all the frenzied people. Gohan glanced at 17, who also had his eyes trained on the two criminals, signifying that he too had spotted them. Both rapidly descended into filthy alley, systematically blocking of the two exits between the both of them.

"Oh shit, it's Saiya-Man!" The goon whirled around and bolted, only to screech to a halt upon sighting another man. He looked to be in his twenties, long dark hair swaying in the wind, as he stood calmly blocking their escape route. Frantically the thug pulled out his Colt and emptied round after round at the man, managing only to hear the metallic 'twang' as the bullet ricocheted off something. That something was the man's chest, which showed neither signs of pain nor penetration of the deadly projectiles. The goons eyes widened to the size of a Frisbee, shocked at what his eyes were witnessing.

"Wha…Wh…The…Hell?" Obviously, his surprise had affected his language proficiency considerably. Not that he was a well-cultured individual, but whatever fluency he had had in the English language was flushed emphatically down the drain.

Gohan couldn't control his mounting rage, and slammed the blubbering thug on the brick wall. Luckily for him, the thug's shoulder blade had taken the brunt of the impact, allowing him to maintain consciousness. There is no need to elaborate upon the consequences if his thick skull rebounded off the bricks. It would have been disastrous. Not because of the ensuing discomfort for the thug. No, Gohan couldn't care less what happened to this callous slimeball. More because he would lose a valuable source of information, as insensitive as that may seem for our compassionate protagonist.

"Who the hell do you work for!" The visor and helmet did little to conceal his furious disposition.

"T…Th…The—."

"Stop stuttering like a buffoon and answer the goddamned question!" It was apparent that Saiya-Man wouldn't go easy on him, like he had done before to others suffering the same fate.

"The New Mafia Crime Syndicate!" He exclaimed in terror, cringing at the superhero's seething face.

"Who ordered this?! What the hell is this new organization anyway?" He pushed the spineless ruffian harder against the wall, feeling his collar bone snap like a twig.

Howling in agony, the goon forced himself to answer the question. "I…I don't know! Please, don't kill me! I…I just know that all the gangs of Satan City have merged into one. I don't know who is the leader though! Some…Some…new guy! I just was doing my orders, I…Don't know anything! Please don't kill me!"

"You disgust me. You killed that man with such savagery!" The crook's face widened in fear, lips trembling like a small child on the verge of tears. "You didn't care! Why should I care? You killed another man, you don't deserve to live!"

Before Gohan could get carried away with his surging emotions, he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. Seventeen gently pulled the raging teen back, keeping a rigid glare on the mercenary. "It's not worth it. Let a judge handle him."

Gohan looked like he was fighting a vigorous mental battle, but in the end he sighed and relaxed his hands. Seventeen calmly jabbed the thug straight in the jaw, knocking him out of consciousness. Slinging the limp goon over his shoulder, he motioned for "Saiya-Man" to follow him as he took to the air. "Besides, what the hell do they teach you at school? Don't you know anything about the writ of habeas corpus?"

Gohan smiled a little at the Seventeen's attempt to lighten the mood. For a monotonous machine designed to annihilate Son Goku and terrorize the Earth, he sure had a sense of humor.

"Hey, what happened back at the Harbor?"

Seventeen faced turned solemn, as his voice somewhat deepened. "I don't know for sure, but when I dived in, the visibility was poor. Even with my enhanced vision, I could barely see anything over a few yards. I went very deep and still I couldn't see anything. I was about to abandon my search, when I saw a whole bunch of red a little off to my right. From there, one thing led to another, and I knew from all the blood loss that the guy had died." He shrugged his shoulders a bit nonchalantly, mostly indifferent to the macabre scene he had witnessed a few minutes before. Having been programmed to kill had some benefits too you know.

"I see the police up ahead at the crime scene. You better go on home, or wherever you were going, to avoid all the questions." Seventeen nodded to his younger comrade. "I'll take this piece of trash to the authorities." They made the exchange in mid-air, both fighters not feeling any strain at the excess of weight. "I'll see you later Seventeen."

The android nodded once signifying his farewell, and flew off in the great expanse of blue. Gohan watched him disappear amongst the vast maze of skyscrapers that protruded out into the sky, noting that the downtown had a commendable skyline. He approached the several flashing lights, as men in blue swarmed the embankment and its surrounding vicinity, scouring for any evidence.

"Hey Saiya-Man, whacha got there?" One tall cop called out, eyeing the slumped form draped on his shoulder. Saiya-Man dropped him in front of the lead investigator, a stubby bearded detective, who glanced at him warily.

"What's this?"

"That's your murderer," he replied calmly, with the utmost certainty.

"Okay, I trust that you saw him do it?" Saiya-Man nodded gravely, as the detective continued on. "We'll take it from here. You probably won't need to testify as a material witness, I assume most of these people saw him do it as well." There was no intelligence in slaying a man in public. Perhaps the Mafia influence had got to the thug's head, rendering him complacent and smug in regards to the authorities.

"There was another one, but he got away." The detective nodded, telling one of his aides to issue an APB on the suspect.

"Hey Go…er, Saiya-Man," a voice chirped from behind.

The detective gave her a queer look, and then shrugging it off as he proceeded to develop his homicide case. Gohan turned around slowly, acknowledging Videl's presence with a monotone greeting. "Hey."

Videl immediately observed that he looked tired and haggard, even though it was early in the morning and school was about to start in a few minutes. "What's wrong? Didn't sleep well?"

"No not that, something else." He sighed despondently, his lips curving into a melancholy expression. At a disadvantage, for his tinted visor concealed his eyes, she didn't know how depressed he really was. She needed to be in a far more informal, and intimate, setting to discern the full extent of his depression.

"Hey, want to talk about it?"

He shrugged his shoulders, not really paying attention to the flurry of activity around them both.

"Come on, let's go to the school terrace. We'll talk over there."

Gohan reluctantly obliged, as he stepped closer to her and extended his arms towards her waist. She blushed furiously and stepped backwards, glancing nervously at the crowd of people gathered around the homicide scene. "Not here! I'll use my chopper, you follow."

Gohan looked around and just noticed the bunch of people crowding around the main street. Most of them were casting confused glances at the pair of crime-fighters. Feeling a small blush come on, "Saiya-Man" nodded slowly to her and elevated into the open sky. She ran back to her yellow chopper, turning the ignition and took to the air.

The terrace, as usual, was devoid of any human presence. It seemed rather unusual that students would ignore such a calming, relaxing place. They would prefer the hubbub of the crowded halls as a better alternative to the serenity of the terrace. Not that she was complaining of that fact. It gave her the much-needed privacy her newest relationship demanded.

Was she ashamed to be seen with him? Partly, though not because of anything regarding _him_. She knew that he was probably the object of interest for much of the school's female population. He was like that. She just didn't want the details leaking out, which would eventually end up somewhere on the tabloid front covers. In her first relationship with a boy, a boy she was very much in love with, she didn't need the complications that would arise with publicity. Gohan was a pretty inhibited person to begin with. Yeah, that was right. She was doing it for him.

"Gohan, you don't need to be in that ridiculous costume over here too." Videl smiled genty, keeping her eyes trained on the reflective visor.

"Oh man. Videl! I guess that would be correct though," she nodded a bit, "YOU of all people wouldn't know much about fashion."

Videl's face contorted into one of shock, her eyes widening a bit and fists shaking. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

Gohan stumbled backwards as her outstretched hands lunged for his throat. She missed to say the least, and compensated by grabbing the front of his _gi_. Both teens tumbled down to the concrete flooring, Gohan taking the brunt of it as Videl used his body as a cushion.

"Ouch! What do you eat? Man, you weigh a ton!" Gohan grinned toothily at her even angrier face. She reared her fist back, and bopped him once on the nose. For Gohan, it was more of a love tap. Literarily and figuratively speaking.

"What do you mean what I eat? You eat so freaking much and have nothing to show for it! You must be as dense as a…well something that's really dense. At least your skull is." She smirked wickedly, as Gohan's face reared back in indignation.

"Ok, that was a cheap shot and you know it!"

"All is fair in love and war." He glanced up at her mischievously, as her petite form still straddled his hips and clutched the front part of his Saiya-Man gi.

"Oh yeah?" Darting up in the blink of an eye, he smothered her in an enthusiastic kiss. As was the desired effect, she was caught in complete surprise, which allowed her guard to drop. She stared at his visor helplessly, feeling the heat rising to her face as Gohan still kept his lips compressed on hers. His hands reached for her torso, fingertips dancing over the smooth skin of her stomach. Her eyes widened even more so, and before she could protest she was giggling uncontrollably in his mouth.

Pulling back and still laughing, she gasped pleadingly at his smiling face. "St…Stop! I can't…take…it" The sentence was interrupted at various times with a mixture of gasping and laughing, all a result of his incessant tickling. He finally halted the devilish behavior, noting absentmindedly that she was extremely ticklish. May come in handy in the future, this sort of information.

She lay on the ground breathing heavily, as she tried to recover from the sudden onslaught on her belly. It was a peculiar position that both of them had ended up into. She still had her legs around his waist, but this time she lay on her back breathing heavily while he sat up. If anyone had walked in on them at this particular moment, assuredly a long explanation was due to convince them from forming any, let's just say, prurient conclusions.

He was grinning goofily at her flushed face, not realizing the extremely suggestive position they were both in. She shook her head, and battling back the tinge of red threatening to emerge on her cheeks once more, she shifted into a sitting position with her back to the terrace wall. Gohan followed suit, sitting close and letting her slump her head on his shoulder. He pressed the button to finally rid himself of the superhero ensemble, and revert back to his school clothes.

"I'll get you back for that, Son Gohan."

"I'm pissing my pants as we speak."

"Your walking on mighty thin ice at this moment, I have half a mind to use your head as a punching bag." She muffled her face in his shoulder more, loving the warm and soft feeling of the cloth. The Saiya-jin teen draped his arm over her small body, holding her tight. It gave him some sort of pleasing satisfaction to have somebody to hold on to, to protect, to call his own. It made it even more gratifying knowing that all those things were reciprocated in her as well, so they both had each other to rely on whenever necessary. He sighed deeply, resting the side of his face on her head.

"Gohan, what was wrong earlier today? You seem alright now, but I think I know better."

"Oh, ah it was nothing Videl. Nothing to talk about anyway." She pulled back and looked up at him. His face had grown a little bit more sullen, and his eyes drooped downwards in a remorseful gaze. Something definitely was bothering him.

"You are the one that told me to tackle problems together, not alone, right?"

After a bit of deliberation, he nodded his head slowly. He knew damned well where this set of dialogue was going.

"Well, I'm here. You're here. Spill it, or else I'm gonna have to resort to drastic measures."

He smiled weakly at her, clutching her form tighter to his chest. "We wouldn't want that now would we?"

"Not come hell or high water."

"Maybe high water, but definitely not hell. I hear that is where all those idiots are, Cell and all. Man, if I have to put up with anymore of his 'perfect' bullshit, I would do him a favor and shoot myself!"

"Wha…?" She looked up at him expectantly, her face set into a perplexed frown. How would he have known Cell anyway? Why would Cell be happy if he had shot himself? It's not like he posed a threat to him anyway, right?

Gohan's mind raced furiously for an excuse, anything, to save him from imminent peril. But try as much as he might, genius and all, his mind drew a blank every time. It seemed rather ridiculous that he would be able to identify the derivatives of deceleration and momentum in mere seconds, but couldn't think of some plausible excuse. Finally, stuttering freely like always, he replied. "I mean…you know, Cell and all his perfect mumbo jumbo! On T.V, remember!?"

Realization dawned to her beautiful features, as she grasped at what he was trying to get at. "But how would shooting yourself help him?" Videl's suspicion had all but completely dissipated. She didn't know why she was compelled to be so intensely suspicious of him. His secret, the whole Saiya-Man thing, was his _only_ secret, she was sure. Right? So how come she had this overwhelming feeling that he was hiding something else? Was falling in love causing her mind to be wary of everything he does, as a sort of protective gesture? She wanted to hold on to him forever, she loved him more deeply than anything she could have ever fathomed. Jealousy probably rears its ugly head in a variety of forms.

"Um…You know…how he wanted to kill everyone…well that's one less person for him to kill!" Gohan was on a roll, and mentally ecstatic that whatever blabber he was spewing forth actually made some sense.

"If he wanted to _kill_ everyone Gohan, then he wouldn't be happy if you killed yourself. He'd much prefer that he disembowel you himself rather than you blowing your brains out with a gun."

"I guess…Hey! What's with all the technicalities!" She grinned, enjoying every minute of tormenting poor ol' gullible Gohan.

"I find it hard to believe that you would figure out how to unlatch the safety catch on the gun, much less fire it."

Gohan grumbled something incoherent, looking away from Videl in an attempt to look angry. She chuckled to herself, and reached up and kissed his cheek, nuzzling her nose in his neck.

"Now tell me what was wrong."

"Nothing."

"Oh come on!"

"Nope."

"You can't be angry at me forever!"

"Sure I can."

Videl heaved a sigh of frustration, still trying to catch the attention of her disparaged boyfriend. She knew she couldn't get him to talk diplomatically, so her satanic brain, living up to her namesake, concocted yet another diabolical plan.

Operation: Compel Gohan to Talk

She authorized herself to use any and all means necessary in reaching that goal, including certain lustful actions.

"Hey, are you feeling naughty?" She moved her hand slowly up his chest, underneath his white shirt, fingertips trailing lightly over his skin. He jumped noticeably, face brightening to a reddish hue. Videl could feel the small prickly goose bumps starting to emerge, as her smooth fingers made patterns on his muscular chest.

"Ah, Videl! Um…Oh man…Don't we have school? Shit, we have five more minutes! Woah! Videl…"

"Yes Gohan," she said, lacing her voice with all the 'sexiness' that she could muster.

"Um…you don't wanna go to first period? We're gonna be late!"

"Not until you tell me what was bothering you."

"We don't have time…woah…" His exclamation was rather high, as he felt her hand caress the sides of his chest muscles. She was driving him insane! At this rate, his mind would revert to a more instinctual, feral state. All rational thought would be suspended until further notice, and he'd be compelled do some things that would have never been possible with his good ol' gullible Gohan routine.

"Ok, ok!" He was desperate, as his mind was on the verge of cracking. Any more of this and he'd take it to her right there, on top of the school terrace. Just think about what the principal would have to say about that, and, oh good God, his mother. He could imagine that, quite vividly too. She would rant on about how he had first been involved in school fights, and then was engaged in more, shall we say, questionable sport. That would certainly be detrimental to his cause, not to mention his love life.

"Good, now spill it. We'll skip first period if necessary." She ceased her lascivious ministrations, and rested comfortably in the niche of his shoulder and chest.

"First period? Oh man, my mother will kill me if she found out!"

"Spill it." She was resolute, and no amount of coercion would sway her otherwise. Not even his puppy dog plea for help would gain much headway, he assumed, because she didn't look up at him. He concluded that she must be avoiding his face for that particular reason, the dreaded puppy-dog.

"Alright." He composed himself, taking a deep inward breath, and then continued. "Remember when I walked into the room, after you had that little confrontation with your father?" She nodded against his shoulder, trying hard not to remember that painful incident in too much detail. "Well, I put on a more agreeable face because I saw that you needed some solace. You will always come before me, no exceptions." She smiled a little, and cuddled into him closer. He could be immensely flattering when he gets into one of these monologue-oriented moods, even if he didn't know it himself. Chalk that up to naiveté. "When we heard of that fire on the radio, I went as fast as I could. Right before I came back, I witnessed something. Something that was as haunting as Ce…I went there to save them Videl, and I tried, I really did." He swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue. "But it wasn't enough." It was barely audible, like a distant whisper.

She wrapped both her arms around his muscular frame, pulling her head back and letting him rest his head on her shoulder this time. "Gohan, it's ok. You can't hold yourself accountable for their death. You went to save them, remember?"

"NO! I was given this power, somewhat like a gift, and what I did I do? I let them all die! Have you ever smelled someone's skin melting? Have you ever heard the screams of the people on death's door? Their screams are still in my mind, still haunting me."

"I know it hurts, I know. But you can't stop everything from happening Gohan. You can't be everywhere all the time, regardless of your powers. You hav—."

"They died. Someone's mother, someone's grandfather, someone's role model, died one of the most violent deaths I have ever seen. I had to watch on, as they screamed frantically of mercy. People were trying to stab themselves with knives! Just so they won't have to smell their own skin being burned off, their own flesh being cooked. It was sickening, to see old people, feeble as they were already, die so cruelly. It was painful to watch. And trust me, I've seen many brutal deaths."

"Gohan?"

He sighed, and was more than ready to reveal it all. He couldn't bear hiding it from her anymore. He loved her, and love cannot co-exist with secrets. He knew that he had been procrastinating too long. No more running, no more hiding. He had helped her, then why can't he help himself? Whether she was ready for this sort of massive influx of information could have been pondered upon further, but he had enough. He couldn't live with this anymore. He had to let it go.

"Videl, I have to tell you everything. I know, because I could feel, that you suspected something was off about me since the start. Maybe you chalked it up to your proactive suspicion. Maybe you said it was about me being Saiya-Man. I really don't know, but I can attest to the fact that a woman's intuition is seldom wrong. I am a miserable pile of secrets, and I just hope you can forgive me for not telling you sooner."

She smiled at him, trying to relieve some of his tension. "It's okay Gohan. Everybody has secrets, and we've just found out our love for each other. I won't be mad, but I am really happy that you decided to trust me."

"I…I am not as innocent and carefree as I make myself out to be. I had a very hectic childhood. That is all because of my heritage, and my family."

Immediately Videl jumped to the most erroneous of conclusions. She soothed his hair and whispered into his ear, overcome with sorrow, "I'm so sorry Gohan. I didn't know that they did that to you."

Gohan looked a little confused, and replied with some uncertainty. "Did what?"

"Um, okay. I…I jumped to the wrong conclusion I guess. I…sorry."

"No it's okay, you don't have to be sorry to me. Ever. But what you were thinking is certainly not the case. Rather, it's the other way around. I was given too much love as a child," and then grinning a little sheepishly, "Still am from one overprotective mother."

All too soon though, that brief ray of happiness in him dissolved, and he sighed forlornly. Too much sighing. A sigh: probably an indication of exhaustion, or sorrow. Or even both. He lay his head on her lap, stretching his body fully, lying down. She still caressed his hair, looking down at him and urging him to continue.

"I don't know what you're going to say, or what you'll do. But I want you to know, that whatever happens, I'll always love you. I can't, and I won't, stop loving the first ever love of my life. It's just too bad that fate seems to hate me, enough to make my life a living hell sometimes."

"Gohan…"

"I…I'm not…My dad, Son Goku, he—," She interrupted him with a surprised yelp.

"Son Goku? You mean to say your father was that kid who whipped everyone at the Tenkai-Itchi-Budoukai? The guy who won it when he was in his teens?"

"Yeah, he was."

"How come you never mentioned that? It'd be so cool to meet him! I mean, I didn't see him at your house, where," she then took a sharp intake of breath, mumbling silent "oh's" and "ah's". The guy in the photo. Goten's larger version.

"I'll get there. But my dad really wasn't from this planet. He was from a planet called Vegeta, and part of a race called the Saiya-jin's. Heh, and look at him now, he still isn't _on _this planet as well." He chuckled bitterly, eyes becoming a little too glossy. Had this been under different circumstances, she would have undoubtedly jumped up and laughed insanely, or kicked him hard in the shin for lying, but somehow she believed it. An alien. It wasn't so foreign a concept after the Advent of Cell, and his subsequent demise. She knew he would never lie to her, because he loved her madly. Then, she loved a partial alien, a partial Saiya-jin to be precise. Did it change things? Certainly not anything tangible about him. He still was the adorable Son Gohan she knew and loved, he still had that gravity defying hair, and his obsidian eyes were still the object of her affection. What can be said then, about the intangibles? Can she love an alien? She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she couldn't bear to be torn apart from him now. Not after all that he had done for her, and after she had fallen head-over-heels for him. She couldn't just force herself to stop loving him. Oddly, she didn't even feel the need to stop loving him, regardless of his heritage. Even her subconscious accepted that fact with minimal protest. He hadn't done anything wrong. If she held him responsible for something he had no control over, then she would be just as bad as those people who scorn the offspring of persons with stigmata purely on the basis of birth. She would despise herself if she stooped that low.

"I'm…Sor—." Before she could offer her condolences, however late they may be, he interrupted.

"Don't be. In wasn't your fault anyhow, it was mine."

She gasped, and stared at him incredulously. No wonder this was bothering him. He harbored similar feelings as to which she did few days back. He blamed himself, just as she did all these years, for something that wasn't in either of their control. Death is beckoned by nobody; it comes on its own caprice. Just as you don't choose love, but it chooses you, you don't choose death. You weren't asked if you wanted to be born into this world, so fittingly, you won't be asked if you want to leave this world. Human's are always, by nature, afraid of things that they can't control or can't comprehend. Irrationalities, intangibles, all these things are what cannot be comprehended to its fullest extent. All those things are what human's will always be wary of, always fearful.

"My father was the most incredible person that ever lived. He was what the perfect person should have been. He was pure of heart and soul. Always, my father put others before him, regardless of the situation. He would even consider the life of a complete stranger much more important than his own, without a second thought. He was blessed with unfathomable prowess in art of fighting. Probably more so than anybody else who ever existed. Many times, he saved this planet from destruction, without even attempting to take credit for it. You have no idea how many autocratic tyrants decided one day that they would attempt to take over the world. You also have no idea how unbelievably powerful some of them were. Well, maybe you do. Cell was one of them."

She was completely riveted by this tale, believing every word as if it was canon. The mentioning of Cell however, caused her to speculate where this tale was leading. Maybe, just maybe…nah, that was way too much to hope for.

"Needless to say, I had many adventures when I was young. I even had to fight, and I witnessed many morbid scenes as I grew up. The most traumatizing, however, was when my father died." He left out the part about when Goku had died before, on the arrival of Raditz, because he believed that it would stem too many questions that he would quell later on. "My father was the blonde man who stepped into the ring with Cell." Videl's eyes grew wide, as she scoured her memory for that fateful day. She remembered the man, in his orange gi and blazing aura, as he performed some of the most amazing maneuvers ever to have been witnessed. It was like watching a movie, as both him and Cell traded blows. People surmised, and speculated, about the feasibility of those actions. At the urging of her father, who was boisterously propagating the "tricks" they used, many people began to believe it. It was impossible. But after seeing Gohan perform the same kind of "tricks", she had grown very suspicious of her father's claim to fame.

"My father though, decided to give up, even though he blew off the top part of Cell before. He was getting tired, everyone could see. He…He chose me to fight Cell."

"You were the messenger boy!" She blurted out.

"Yeah. And I was getting trashed. I couldn't understand why my dad was confident I could beat him. I soon understood why, as Cell's conceited actions drew out the immense dormant power within me. I toyed with him, played with him. I wanted retribution for all the heinous crimes he had committed, all the atrocities. My dad warned me…he warned me of complacency. I didn't heed it. Cell decided that if he was going down, he would take the rest of us down with him. He activated his self-destruct sequence, not even he himself could stop it. When I had the power, I failed to use it, I failed to adhere to my responsibility. My father, using his teleport technique, took Cell and himself away to a far off place. There, he perished. He died. He died because I failed." A single tear slipped out from his obsidian orbs, running down the length of his cheek and on to her lap.

"Gohan, you can't blame yourself for that."

"Why not! It's true, no matter what they all told me, it's true. If I hadn't acted like that, he wouldn't have died."

"Gohan, listen to yourself. I want you to remember this thing. You said that your father was a great man. Do you think then, that he'd blame you for his death?"

"Of course he won't, but that doesn't change the fact that he died because of me."

"Then what you told me was a lie."

"What? What was a lie?" Gohan couldn't believe that she called him a liar, when he was addressing the most painful memory he had.

"Remember these words: 'Videl, your Mother has died! She's gone, but you live! And she would never want you to live like this!' Did you not believe in what you said to me?"

"I…"

"Do you?"

"Videl, you have to understand. It's hard for me, when I know if I did something different he would have lived."

"You can't change the past Gohan, and mourning over it won't change it either. You don't know what would have happened if you did things differently. What makes you think that if you _tried_ to kill Cell sooner, he wouldn't have activated that self-destruction thing anyway?"

"I…I don't know."

"Exactly. What happened has happened. You can't do anything about it. So if you can't do anything about, then why not move on."

"But, I failed him. Everything that happened, I still failed him. And after that, I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let this happen to anybody else, if it was within my power. I know how it feels to lose some one I loved. Saiya-Man was there, to stop the injustices committed against the innocent. I devoted every ounce of my being to stop these crimes. I was determined to stop the bloodshed, the tyranny, and the atrocities. I didn't want any money for it. I didn't even want recognition for it. All I wanted, was that innocents should not have to feel the pain I did, should not suffer because some person who could make a difference was too lazy to help. But, just as I failed him, I failed again. I let them die, those old folks. They are dead, because I couldn't do anything to save them. I had my great power, but I failed to live up to its great responsibility."

The way he had said that last statement, wasn't the way that the normal Son Gohan would speak. He said it like a battle-worn soldier, weary and tired of the constant fighting for peace. Fighting for peace; that was an oxymoron if there ever was one. Perhaps that is why he said it with such fatigue, like he was exhausted with this futile struggle with evil. Good always prevails in the end? Maybe, but where, or more importantly, when, is the end? How long does one man have to suffer, to finally relieve himself of that burden? Conscience is a very compelling thing. His would never let him find any solace if he abandoned this struggle for the innocent, and decided to live somewhere else where he could start his own family and just live the normal life. It was lopsided really, fate was. Either way, between both alternatives, he could never live in peace. And he was constantly fighting for it, sacrificing his own so others can find some semblance of it. If observed through this light, people who make it hard for themselves to achieve tranquility, engaging in petty squabbles over the most insignificant things, are essentially counteracting what this one man, in the footsteps of his legendary father, is constantly trying to keep for them.

"Gohan! Why can't you understand that whatever you're doing, however valiant and good it is, is still just a very small part of the universal equation? The world has survived countless millennia without you, or your father, and it will continue to do so regardless of what you can do. You can't stop everything. You can't be everywhere every time. Yes, when you see an injustice being committed, you are then obligated to strike it down. That doesn't mean that you are to blame if you couldn't do it. You are _helping_ people Gohan, and if death was inevitable for them, then so be it. You can't be held responsible for helping people Gohan, however much you think that is the case. You didn't kill your father, death did, it always does. What you do now, however much you loathe yourself, and however much you think that you are at fault, must be a testament to your father and all he stood for. Why do you think your father sacrificed himself?"

"To save the world." That was an easy question wasn't it?

"Why did he wish to save the world?" Gohan at this point was starting to feel like a five year old listening to a painfully obvious explanation by a parent.

"So…we can all live."

"Specifically who, Gohan?"

"My family and friends." Gohan was deep in deliberation, and his glazed eyes attested to that fact. He was pondering on the point that Videl would eventually make, and how he lived up to it. Was it possible that he had been wrong in loathing himself all these years? But, it was so obvious that he was the culprit. All the evidence was stacked against him, and he couldn't deny that accusation when it had so much evidence behind it. Could he?

"He sacrificed himself, so you and your family could live. So far, two of them have honored his memory in that way. Do you know who hasn't?"

It was a hard pill to swallow. Realizing that he had probably hurt his father all these seven years by not making use of that sacrifice. His father had made that sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, in vain if his eldest son had refused to honor him and live, like anybody else. What had he done? He had wasted seven perfectly sound years in introspective bashing, when he could have been out enjoying his life without shrouding it with a façade of ignorance. In many respects, both he and Videl were alike. No wonder they loved each other so much.

She smiled as she looked at his face, and all the different emotions that it went through, knowing that she had finally got through to him. Just as he had helped her, she had returned the favor. Not that anyone was counting, she was sure.

"So, are we going to stop sulking and start living?" She asked, with an unusual "chirp" to her voice.

He looked up at her dazzling blue eyes, that were partially covered with curving bangs of silky hair. They were the most beautiful things he had ever laid eyes upon, and he was sure as hell not going to lose it because of some stupid misconception that he once harbored.

"Oh hell yes!" He reached up and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her face down in a fervent kiss. She smiled inwardly at his show of affection. She really couldn't believe that she hadn't hooked up with him sooner, professed her feelings to him sooner. Self-doubt was just about the worst advice anyone could have ever adhered to, for it stifles initiative and growth. It may very well sound more of a business definition, but when conveyed upon the individual, it can be very oppressive.

Not wanting to be outdone by her ecstatic boyfriend, she kissed back with all the passion she could muster. For what seemed like hours, they kept their lips interlocked as tongues decided to venture further into the recesses of mouths. He sat up and took her into his arms, still feverishly kissing her. They both seemed content, mouths interlocked as they battled gently with their tongues, until they felt that constricting pain in their chests. Holding one's breath for more than two minutes is a difficult task indeed. Just ask both these teens.

She reluctantly pulled back, arms clenched tightly around his neck as she gasped desperately for air. Gohan though, was a partial saiya-jin, and also a seasoned fighter that had honed his endurance considerably, and didn't feel the compelling need to 'gasp' for oxygen. Instead, yielding to temptation, he carried on with his frantic kissing spree as he attacked the skin on her neck. Even though her lungs were screaming for oxygen, Gohan's lips placing sucking kisses on her neck caused her to moan in pleasure. She gladly obliged Gohan's repeated requests to allow him to kiss more of her neck, as he kept his path of kisses going up, and she kept straining her neck upwards as well. Eventually though, Gohan ran out of neck to kiss, and instead decided on her jaw line. His frantic pace has slowed down into a slower, deeper process. Cooing softly in obvious pleasure, Videl let him take control of their situation. It wasn't as much of subservience on her part. But rather, she really enjoyed how he kissed her. Perhaps when you're newly in love, you have a more optimistic perspective on many things.

He went up her chin and finally rested his lips back on hers. This time though, they kissed long and deep. This one had more meaning to it. Much more profundity than their previous lip lock that was for sure. This was more a profession of love than it was a profession of lust when in love. Their differences were few and far between.

Before they could continue their magical little moment of love, a shrill noise disrupted them both. They parted, both with a distinct look of exasperation plastered on their faces.

"Damn! I've heard the term saved by the bell, but never the term screwed by the bell!" Gohan exclaimed, a little peeved that he couldn't carry on with his, ahem, extracurricular activities anymore. She giggled a little, equally frustrated at the timing of the bell, but found that Gohan's frustration was much more amusing than her own.

"Screwed by the bell! Things like this can only happen to you, Gohan!" She started giggling a little harder, finding his extremely bad relationship with luck rather entertaining, even if it was somewhat at her expense. She could live with it. She was a woman.

"You find this funny? I feel any and all strands of confidence that I had left in me snapping like a backbone subjected to Vegeta's fist."

Still sitting contentedly in his lap, she moved in closer and kissed his cheek. "Poor ol' gullible Gohan."

"What? Is that my new nickname or something?"

"It's a name that I have so _lovingly_ made for you Gohan, just for you. You should be flattered!"

"I am as flattered as the first monkey who got shot into space," he grumbled, more to himself than to anyone else in particular.

"I bet that monkey was really flattered. I mean, he was a celebrity overnight!"

"Yeah, was that before or after he killed himself of space dementia or got horribly deformed by space radiation?"

"Before…no wait…After. Yes. After, I'm quite positive." He sighed and rested his head on the crook of her neck. He was again compelled to kiss her creamy skin, only because it was so close rather than because he wanted to. Maybe it would become second nature to him soon? He wouldn't mind that one bit.

"Hey, don't you feel weird loving a half-alien?"

"Well, everything points to the way that I should. I mean, it not like everyday that you get to meet an alien, much less fall in love with one. But, I fell in love with you. Not where you come from or who your parents are. If I had become repulsed by you just because you were different, then I'd be as big a bigot as those tyrannical rulers, and most people, of the past. I'd think we've evolved too much in human nature to go backwards and not learn from their mistakes. I love you, it's as simple as that."

"Wait. Let me get a video camera, and you can repeat what you just said. We can make our very own soap opera, or even Hollywood movie!"

She smacked him on the head, but although she tried to feign anger she couldn't help but smile. "Come on lover boy, that was the bell for the end of first period. Second should be starting any minute, and you don't want to be late for that do you?" She reluctantly got off her comfortable seat—Gohan's lap—and pulled him up as well.

"Eh? No way, my mom would have a field day. Think of all the different ways she can torture me with. The horror! The horror!!" Flailing his arms about in a comical fashion, he ran down the fleet of stairs leading into the school, Videl in tow.

"With great power comes great responsibility"—If anyone is wondering, the superhero that constantly thinks of this line is Spider-Man

Habeas corpus—A writ commanding a person having another in custody to produce the detained person before a court.

(A/N- yeah I know, I know. I failed to live up to my self-imposed twice a week update deadline. But it wasn't my fault! Really! I was so goddamn preoccupied, that well, I had to compensate for not updating around Wednesday by making this chapter double in length. Well, as was expected, it took me double the time to finish this. So, consider this as a double update.)

"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

-**Groucho Marx**

"I sent the club a wire stating, PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER."

**-Groucho Marx**


	12. Semblance of Normalcy

A Semblance of Normalcy

"The trouble with normal is it always gets worse."

**-Bruce Cockburn**

It seemed that the clock itself had to painfully force itself to tick yet another sixtieth of a minute away. Also adding to the aura of languor so pervasive in the classroom, in addition to the drab subject matter, was the dull monotone voice of the teacher himself. Did these guys ever hear themselves speak? How would those higher "authorities" expect enthusiastic students ever to learn anything if the teacher's voice almost always lulls them to sleep? That's like selling one's car for gas money! 

"If I take anymore of this, I'm gonna go into relapse for a week," an extremely bored Videl whispered. It was more of a desperate plea for help, rather than a sure-fire objective to be met. 

Gohan subdued his chuckles, mostly fearful of teacher admonishments. Too many hectic things had happened during the course of the past couple of weeks. After enduring life at such a harried pace, he was quite comfortable with the succeeding course of events, however dull and tedious school had become. 

"Look on the bright side. He hasn't decided to tell us another one of his "wondrous adventures in cooking' stories again. Really, how amazing can making a plate of stir-fry be?"

It was Videl's turn to suppress her giggles, "Pretty darn amazing if you consider all that can go wrong."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, and threw a sidelong glance at his girlfriend. "Speaking from experience, I perceive."

"What's with the Holmes act?"

"I beg your pardon, but which Holmes act are you referring to?" He had even sported a sophisticated English accent now. 

"That Holmes act."

"That one?"

"Holmes was a morphine addict."

"Heh, considering our little trip back from the hospital, so were you."

She was going to arc her hand around the back of his head, but noticing the steely glare the instructor was training at them she decided to take a rain check. Besides, there were plenty of other opportunities to abuse poor ol' gullible Gohan's head. 

"Ms. Videl, are we enjoying a pleasant conversation up there?"

Videl blushed noticeably as she fidgeted restlessly with her fingers. "Uh…not really Sir."

"Well, then you can tell me what genetic and biological changes will occur to the human body after being in cryogenic freeze for an extended period of time, theoretically of course."

She never knew that they taught cryogenic freezing techniques in High School biology. In fact, she was utterly positive. The question posed had no relevance to the current material they had been learning, and probably wouldn't have any importance to her for the rest of the year. The teacher was giving her the run around.

"Um…He'd have to take a really long piss?" She had a sheepish smile plastered on her face, as she restrained the urge to laugh out loud at the seething Bio teacher.

Most of the class erupted in low snickers, trying in vain to cover them up with their hands. Even Gohan felt the overwhelming urge to chuckle despite his formal training in self-discipline. 

"Miss Videl, I'd appreciate it if you will pay more attention to what is being said. Either that, or you can chat all you want with the principal, who I am sure would gladly oblige, understood?"

She nodded slowly, choking out a small 'Yes sir' through clenched teeth. Satisfied with his disciplinary action, the aging, balding man with thick glasses continued on with his incredibly uninteresting lecture. 

***************************

"I am going to shove that cue ball of a head up his uptight ass!" An irate Videl seethed after Biology, not at all over the embarrassing scenario earlier.

"Well, at least she called the shot," Sharpener quipped, utilizing his knowledge of pool to its minimal extent. 

"Videl, calm down!" Gohan frantically tried to soothe his pissed girlfriend, even resorting to hold both her hands so she wouldn't give the lockers a new makeover. How about a fist as the new school logo, imprinted on the metal casing of said lockers? 

"You just wait Son Gohan. When I see him outside in the parking lot," she smirked quite sadistically, "I'm gonna show him just how pleasant it is to chat with my fist."

Gohan swallowed hard, comprehending the full implications of that statement. After knowing her moods practically like the back of his hand, he decided that dropping the subject would have the most success at a time like this.

"Well, we're gonnna be late for next period."

Videl though, was unresponsive. Glancing up, he noticed that she had a far away look in her eyes. 

_She's probably thinking of all the ways she can paralyze Mr. Virkus._ He was immensely grateful that he wasn't on the receiving end of her spite. 

Grabbing the books for both of them, he shut both lockers and dragged a zoned out Videl behind him towards Calculus. He didn't notice the queer looks exchanged between both Sharpener and Erasa, undoubtedly trying to decipher this new level of 'interaction' they had witnessed between them. It was strange indeed that Videl had talked excessively to Gohan all period, insisted that both she and Erasa switch seats, and currently allowed Gohan to hold her hand. Last person who tried the latter was in a full body cast for a month. Both blondes' eyes reached a mutual agreement: Dig up the dirt on them both. 

Calculus, as always, was not as monotonous as their other classes. In fact, they rather enjoyed the first few minutes of it because their teacher was quite the funny fellow.

"Sharpener, pay attention. I'm beginning to think that hair color _does_ affect one's intelligence."

Sharpener, whose ego wouldn't let him swallow the remark, retorted with his rather limited intelligence. "Yeah, well I'm beginning to think that teachers are wrong."

Most of the class had instantly sweat-dropped, casting wary glances at the blonde who obviously thought himself a riot, as his satisfied smirk betrayed. The Calculus teacher, Mr. Westhead, raised one eyebrow with a bemused expression. "Do us all a favor Sharpener and jump out the window. The average class IQ would increase tenfold."

Some of the more reserved students couldn't help but grin, and the other more vociferous ones cat-called with loud 'burned!', 'dissed' and 'go home!' remarks. Sharpener turned beet red as the blood rushed up his face and reflected off his previously pale cheeks. The blonde hair atop a red face made the scene far more comical than it really was, and half the class couldn't stop laughing, especially one Videl Satan. 

"Oh ye—," Sharpener made for a desperate attempt to retort, trying to salvage whatever shreds of dignity he had left in front of his peers. Before he could formulate a clever riposte though, the teacher interrupted him again, much to his chagrin.

"*Click* Audio Off. Visual is bad enough." He gestured as if he was clicking a light switch or something similar, accentuating the unflattering insinuation. Again the class erupted in loud jeers and comments, the teacher driving them into an enthusiastic mix of awe and delight. Videl was having a blast, temporarily forgetting her little discrepancy earlier on in Biology. Even Gohan couldn't wipe the smile of his face. "Alright, enough. We have logarithmic functions to attend to. We can postpone this banter to another day." With that he proceeded to scrawl some graphs on the chalkboard as the class gradually settled down. Sharpener grumbled something incoherent as he crossed his arms and began to pout, still redder than a tomato on steroids.

Videl was visibly trying to gasp for air, as she clutched her stomach in a vain attempt to stop her diaphragm from shaking violently. You didn't need to know her well to deduce that she really enjoyed witnessing a good Sharpener bashing. That and her boyfriend Gohan were fast becoming her favorite pastimes. Subduing her cachinnations, she consigned herself to actually pay attention to the lesson being taught, calculus not being one of her stronger subjects. 

******************************

"How come I always get picked on?!" Sharpener protested indignantly. 

"Face it Sharpener, you aren't the sharpest tool in the shed. Pun intended."

He pouted some more, causing both Gohan and Videl to snicker at his sullen disposition. For Gohan, it felt quite good not to be on the receiving end of Videl's sarcasm.

"Hey, I'm am not an airhead"

"Of course you're not. You happen to be very intelligent," Erasa consoled the incensed blonde, causing his spirit to perk a bit.

"Of course not Sharps. You're just about as intelligent as that guy who got locked in a furniture store and slept on the floor."

All his hopes had been cruelly dashed by two sentences. It didn't do any good for his morale that the person who dashed them had been the very girl he had been doting on for the past couple of years. Talk about blatant rejection, even though he hadn't attempted to make a pass on her for quite some time. Maybe he had finally read between the lines? Maybe he had gotten the hint? Maybe Hercule admitted his mendacity to the world? 

Grumbling again in a dejected manner, Sharpener took his bruised ego and lunch towards the cafeteria, Erasa in tow. 

*****************

"Finally, we eat!" A famished half Saiya-jin exclaimed in relief. He had been eyeing the clock warily the entire day, anxiously awaiting the best part of school. Where one associates food as the highlight of an institute of learning is a concept best left alone, at least for the normal people that is. Videl rolled her eyes and sneaked a quick kiss on his cheek, after making sure that no prying eyes were around the vicinity. 

"I bet that food was revolving around your head the whole time, wasn't it?"

"Yup. I was trying my hardest to visualize."

"Next time when you 'visualize' Gohan, try not to drool."

He grinned and snaked his arm around her slim waist, leaning towards her conspiratorially and whispering, "I wasn't visualizing food then, I was visualizing you." Her face lit up like the Fourth of July fireworks display as she swung for his head, which would make even Barry Bonds envious. Luckily for him, he had anticipated such a reaction and ducked out of harms way before any damage could be done.

"You're lucky."

"That I have you."

She smiled despite her feigned irritation, and sat down against the terrace wall like their morning routine. They had decided to ditch the 'blondes' in the courtyard today for some privacy. Now they could fool around without constantly being wary of any gossiping shmucks. 

Stomach complaining avidly, Gohan eagerly de-capsulated the contents of the tiny white pill he held as he drooled noticeably at the large amounts of food that had appeared inside the cloud of smoke. Without further hesitation, he plopped down beside Videl and wasted no time in 'digging in'. As the bottomless pit steamrolled through the various victuals—which had sent the Saiya-jin in a crazed frenzy—Videl investigated her sandwich that was neatly covered with some Saran wrap. A haphazard piece of lettuce was drooping out from the sides, a dull green that seemed to be robbed of life, and bits and pieces of pale meat slices, bologna she figured, also made their presence known. In contrast to the delectable cuisine her boyfriend was blissfully ravaging, she felt a yard shy of being a peasant stuck in a wealthy banquet. Consequence, it seemed, isn't without a sense of irony. 

"That's it." With a disgusted snarl, she flung the offending sandwich clear over the terrace precipice and watched as it sailed into distance, ducking out of sight after a few seconds. All things considered, she hadn't consigned herself to starvation with that improvident display of personal preference. Instead, she had just upgraded to first class from economy without even consulting her boyfriend. She figured she hadn't the need for such trivial formalities. If he resisted, she always had her baseball swing on call. 

"What was that for?" That was the sequence of words translated into English, from the language of talking-with-food-in-the-mouth that both Gohan and Goten are incredibly proficient at. 

"It looked…yucky." She replied, contorting her face into an expression of revulsion. 

"Oh no, not again. That wasn't hospital food you know." 

"Well, now I have to eat from your lunch," she chirped happily, grabbing the closest sandwich without a second thought.

Gohan stared at her contented features in disbelief, as a bit of a pout was creeping up onto his sulky disposition. "Aww, how come I have to pay for the crappy food your cook gives to you?" 

She glowered at him, and he slowly edged away, deciding to abandon all pretense of protest he may have harbored. Who knows what she'd do to him? Considering whom her namesake was, he wasn't too enamored with the prospect of finding out. 

"Eh heh. No honey, you're taking it all wrong. What I meant was take whatever you want. Eh heh. What's mine is yours right?!" 

She seemed satisfied with this and continued on with _his_ sandwich, while he heaved a sigh of relief and thanked his lucky stars. He also cursed them, but that was on a completely different note. 

Time passed rather quickly as both teens attempted to satisfy their stomachs. The amount of intake varied vastly for both, but the time it took for them to meet their hunger objective was relatively the same. Speaks volumes for the amount of speed Gohan was working at. 

"Oh yeah!" Gohan exclaimed contently, basking in his post-meal euphoria. For some reason or another, eating his mother's scrumptious meal and having the form of the girl of his dreams right next to him made it seem like things couldn't get any better. But just as he would have known if he was thinking clearly, fate and luck both conspired against him, and this was a golden opportunity if there ever was one. Attack him when he least expects it. 

"We knew you two had something going on!" Erasa crowed triumphantly, emerging from the doorway with an equally smug looking Sharpener. Had they both been eavesdropping? Conventional wisdom leaned towards the affirmative. Still, wishful thinking never hurt anyone. 

Videl cried out and jumped to her feet, blushing crimson. Gohan just stared blankly at his other two friends, still methodically patting his stomach. 

"Huh?"

Erasa grinned in absolute delight at the couple. Even though she had been sending some pretty clear signals towards Gohan all these weeks, she had given up all hope after gauging his naiveté. That, in of itself, was a feat worthy of the Nobel Prize for Erasa. Now, perhaps before receiving the coveted prize, she'd figure out who that prize was named after? She was bursting with ecstasy at her longtime friend _finally_ discarding her preconceived notions about males and getting together with one. Who better to do it with then good ol' gullible Gohan?

"You two look so cute together!" This did not go over too well with an already seething Videl.

"What do you mean Erasa?! We were just eating lunch!"

Sharpener decided, in all his infinite wisdom, that he'd shed light upon this matter in a much quicker way. Besides, he wanted to get retribution for Videl's comments earlier. Revenge is a very compelling thing. And revenge with the absence of conscience and intelligence, is pretty much consigning its bearer to some really embarrassing moments.

Imitating an extremely feminine version of Videl's voice he said, "_You're lucky,"_ and then changing into an extremely gruff version of Gohan's voice he continued, "_That I have you."_ Both he and Erasa snickered as Videl's face was burning up in red. She really looked like a Satan now. All she needed was a pair of horns on her head and a pitchfork to stick up Sharpener's, eh…posterior. 

"Yeah Vidy, sure sounds like a fun lunch to me," Erasa commented, still smiling from ear to ear. She really didn't like her name being abbreviated, especially the one Erasa had just used.

Gohan grimaced as he watched the slew of emotions unfold on Videl's face. Embarrassment? Check. Irritation? Check. Anger. Sharpener had better start running his scrawny hiney. 

"Why exactly were both of you eavesdropping on us?" She ground out between clenched teeth. 

"Oh! It is true. When did this happen? How did it happen? Who asked who out? Man, you guys are the last people I could picture together!" Erasa reverted back to bubbly mode, spewing out questions faster than anyone could answer.

"Man Videl, you sure know how to pick 'em." Sharpener jibed, a little irritated at the fact that nerd-boy acquired what he had been trying unsuccessfully for the past few years. 

"What's that supposed to mean, _Sharpener_?" Videl was too flushed to think of any clever retorts, but had unanimously agreed between the evil and good sides of her mind that she must get in the last word. After all, she couldn't have Sharpener of all people get in the last laugh. 

"_Videl_," Sharpener said the name whilst making a face, as he backed up ever so slightly from the femme fatale.

"_Sharpener_."

"_Videl._"

"_Sharpener_."

"_Videl_."

"Guys! This never goes anywhere!"

"That's cuz you always interrupt it." Videl retorted at Erasa, still training her glower at the blonde ingrate.

Before things could get ugly and Gohan would have stopped banging his head against the wall, the bell shrilly whistled signifying the end of lunch. Gohan shot up enthusiastically, heaving a mental sigh of relief.

"Well, we can chat about our love life another time." He grabbed Videl's hand, not unlike the way he had before, and lead her seething form back into the school building. Sharpener dejectedly followed with a bubbly Erasa chirping her merriment in tow. 

***********************

"Hey Videl, Sharpener did a stupid thing in class today." Gohan commented, trying to spark a conversation with his peeved girlfriend. 

"What, did he get stabbed in a shoot-out?" Videl muttered under her breath.

Gohan sweat-dropped, but before he could elaborate upon the matter Erasa thrust a couple of sheets of paper in his hands. 

"Here you guys go. It's today's literature homework. Since both of you," she peered suspiciously at them both, "decided to ditch."

Gohan perused their homework, which had a large listing of some of the more popular adages used today. "What do we have to do?"

"You have to first complete the saying, and then research it and find out where it came from."

Gohan stared at it incredulously, "A rolling stone gathers…Gee I don't know, what do the Rolling Stones gather? Guitars? Sewing machines? Bad hairdos?" 

Erasa stared at him blankly, not catching on to his sarcasm. "Uh. Gohan. I think it's talking about a stone rolling, not the Rolling Stones."

Gohan glanced at her with a bemused expression, Videl grinning from ear to ear behind him. "Hmm. With great power comes great…" He shook his head at that saying. It was from Spiderman for Pete's sake! "Abs? Lasagna?" He was beginning to enjoy this assignment.

Videl took the paper from Gohan and lightly glanced over its contents, unable to hide her curiosity. "The pen is mightier than…?" She raised an eyebrow, which incidentally Gohan thought was really cute.

"The pigs."

"Ok guys, I don't get it." Erasa declared, a little annoyed at not being in the fold so to speak.

"Think about it. Pen. Pigs," Videl gesticulated with her hands, trying to emphasize the connection between the two ideas.

"Uh…I don't think pigs are able to write Videl."

Videl threw up her hands in exasperation, while Gohan was forcibly trying to suppress his chuckles. This normalcy, for lack of the better term, was a welcomed change from the chaotic events that had occurred over the past few weeks. God knows they needed a break.

"Well, whatever Videl, I gotta go find Sharpener and hitch a ride. I'll see you two _lovebirds_ later," and giggling like a giddy schoolgirl, the effervescent blonde disappeared amongst the throng of students heading somewhere far away from their weekday hellhole. 

"So, whadya wanna do?" 

"I don't know, have anything planned?"

"Well, we can go to your house. You _still_ have to teach me to fly,_ Saiya-Man_."

"Yeah, we better go. I don't think I want to face my mom's wrath if I came late," Gohan replied, shuddering involuntarily.

Videl looked at him a little amused, gauging the extent of Gohan's fear of his mom. Rather, his mom, and her frying pan. The poor boy has been whacked so many times with that pan that he might have the words 'Teflon' imprinted on his skull. One day, she mused, she would have to check his unruly mass of hair for those ominous words.

They made their way towards the staircase that led to the terrace, which took some doing because they had to fight their way against the strong current of students. Videl would have preferred to knock over whichever fool decided to obstruct her conduit to the staircase, but had been amiably restrained by her new boyfriend. After a slew of profanity and painful yelping, they had made it to their desired destination. In retrospect, Gohan figured a few disgruntled students is a much better result than the whole corridor strewn with unconscious bodies, courtesy his impatient girlfriend. 

Upon reaching the roof, Gohan proceeded to scrutinize the vicinity for any signs of life. He didn't want to take any unnecessary chances, especially because he hadn't noticed Sharpener and Erasa stalking them before. True, he was preoccupied with one of his favorite activities of the day. That, he reasoned, was not a good enough excuse to let his guard down. 

Satisfied with his search, he quickly changed into his Saiya-Man attire with a simple touch of a button. 

"Oh great, Saiya-dork decides to grace us with his presence." 

Gohan just grinned at her and grabbed her waist, blasting in to the sky as unexpectedly as possible. He heard a muffled scream, followed by a bunch of 'thwaps' as he got a couple of smacks on his helmet. He twisted around, gliding on his back while Videl straddled him around the hips. To the casual observer, the scene would no doubt bring about a smile. It really looked like Videl was riding a hover-bike or something of the like, clutching the green cloth gi like a bar handle. 

"Woohoo!" Videl felt quite invigorated as the cool wind whipped through her hair and soothed her worries away in a single moment of excitement. Excitement, a little bit of fear and anxiety, and definitely trust, all wrapped in a stimulating bundle. She leaned down and kissed Gohan on the lips, causing her 'ride' to dangerously sway in mid-air. If it were at all possible to 'capsize' whilst they were airborne, then they would have assuredly tumbled over if Gohan hadn't regained his senses quick enough. 

"Woah, Videl, don't do that! You want an encore performance or something?" He was, of course, referring to their little 'accident' a few weeks ago. They still didn't learn what the problem with her craft had been, but certainly they didn't suspect sabotage. 

"No, but it's fun to make you nervous."

"Glad that you take such pleasure in my torment," Gohan muttered as she giggled and hugged him tighter. Suddenly it occurred to him that this is only Videl's second time flying with him, well when she was consciously aware of her surroundings. Time for some retribution. Unbeknownst to him, a small smirk very much reminiscent to a certain Prince of three people had slowly encroached on the side of his lips. It had an eerie effect to it, very nonconforming to good ol' gullible Gohan's usual demeanor. 

Without warning, he plummeted as fast as he could towards the ground below. Pushing himself harder, he put on a sudden burst of ki and pulled up sharply, performing loops and various other aerial acrobatics. The excess of wind rushing past them stifled Videl's screams, as her stomach lurched at the sudden altitude fluctuations. She clung to his body for dear life, burying her face in his ample chest. Soon, after throwing a glance at her position, Gohan relented and slowed down to a reasonable speed. He was sure that he would be in for it big time now, but he knew that it was more than worth it. Upon seeing her incensed features reemerge from his chest, he gulped and second-guessed himself. 

"What the hell was that for!?" Gohan cringed as he felt a sharp pain emanate from his right ear, the one closest to her mouth. Panicking noticeably, he stumbled to string an explanation together in coherent sentences.

"I…I thought it'd be fun."

*Smack* *Smack* 

"I thought _that_ would be fun."

Gohan rubbed his rump ruefully, as he eyed her resolute expression. He now regretted reverting back to his normal street clothes a little while earlier. He missed the added protection of his helmet. Shrugging it off, he grinned and pressed his lips against hers. He watched as her eyes widened considerably at the sudden move, which after a little while softened as she kissed him back. 

"There, now I thought _that_ was fun."

She smiled at him and surveyed the surroundings of his home. From a bird's eye view of the whole mountain area, there seemed to be a sense of calm and serenity as nature carried on its various activities unperturbed by the hassle of city life. Large grassy fields littered the area, sporadically interrupted with a patch of evergreen trees every once in a while. The unvitiated expanse was breathtaking in the day illumination, the green grass having a deep rich color and the woodlands teeming with life. The sheer diversity of the fauna one could see from up above, also accentuated by the impressive floral variety, was a sight to behold. Videl had just discovered her unknown dream. A dream to bask in the atmosphere of solace this place brings, to reel in its simplicity. Maybe one day to live here, away from the congestion and hectic world of the city. Maybe that's why Gohan is such a laidback person, one who tries to be calm and rational and always optimistic. This place, this ambience, can forge the malleable personality of the young into someone that reflects what this place brings out in a person. It was a special place. Even his house, which was just visible in the clearing in which it resided, reflected the simplistic nature of the environment. Maybe stresses, worries, fretting, all these things, are brought on by excessive thinking. Excessive thinking, in turn, tends to confuse the person. Makes the concept more ambiguous than need be. Sometimes looking at things from an abstract perspective is beneficial. Looking at the world in different spectrums of perception can enhance and broaden the 'educationality' of those things. But sometimes, it just distorts the simple clear truth and brings on unnecessary troubles. What was the saying? "The man who can view the world through the eyes of a child is the man who will attain most from this life." Maybe we should ask Goku how he does it. 

They had been flying the rest of their trip in a comfortable silence, both lost in different thoughts upon different subjects. Gohan landed softly in the ground before the house, cradling Videl's petite form with unnecessary care. Before both had time to do anything two whirlwinds, one suffused with a blue tint while the other with an orange one, attacked them both in a flurry of activity. All four tumbled to the grassy green earth, laughter and small growling emanating from the cluster of bodies piled up atop a flustered Gohan. 

"Woah." Simple and concise, yet effective. His entire inquisition, surprise, and greeting Gohan summed up in one colloquial ejaculation. 

"Hey big brother! Lookie, Trunks came over to play!"

"Hey, Gohan. Who's this, your _girlfriend_?" Trunks, as was expected from a child his age, said that last word with a palpable sense of abhorrence and antipathy. Talk about hating something with a vengeance. 

"So, this is the second part of the Infernal Duo," Videl said, smiling down mischievously at the lavender-haired boy. He looked up at her, eyes twinkling with mirth and some tomfoolery, inspecting this new raven-haired girl. He snickered after gauging her powerlevel, which compared to both him and Goten, was of miniscule proportions. 

"Trunks, she is NOT my girlfriend. Her name is Videl." Gohan sighed lethargically. He was going to be bombarded with questions similar to that one for a long time, especially by a furtive nose-less ex-monk. They had decided to keep their relationship clandestine for the time being, just to measure the public reaction their pairing got from other people. Not like they cared, but it was good to know what to expect from his family after they reveal the big news. Well, at the rate their inquisitiveness in his love life was going, the news wouldn't be so 'big' after the due course of events. 

"Hi Videl! See, this is my bestest pal Trunks," Goten exclaimed, jumping up and down and pointing at his crafty counterpart. Probably due to his excitement, or lack of perceptive skills, he hadn't deduced the obviousness of the matter. Videl already knew the other boy was Trunks, and most likely would have deduced who he was regardless if Goten had made that statement earlier or not. 

"I see, I bet you're the brains of this joint aren't ya Trunks."

"It all depends on who's asking the question," Trunks responded coolly, trying his hardest to look indifferent. The boy had an unquestionable reverence of his father, and tried everything possible to act and sound like him. Of course, he wasn't as apathetic and unbearable as his father, but the boy tried. 

"How so?" Videl was looking at him with a curious expression, something like a cross between amusement and admiration. 

"Well, if it was my mom or Goten's mom or Gohan asking, then he did it," and he pointed to his Goku look-alike friend, who at the moment was quite intrigued with a small bug, poking it and making 'ooh' and 'aah' sounds. Trunks sweat-dropped at his friend's antics, but continued on, "and if anyone else is asking, especially my dad, then I did it."

Videl laughed loudly as the group starting walking towards Gohan's domed abode. She was beginning to like both these kids, especially Trunks' cunningness and Goten's effervescence. Suddenly Chi-Chi stormed out of the door brandishing a frying pan in one hand like a raving lunatic. Upon the scary sight, both chibis whimpered and scampered behind Gohan and Videl's bodies. Even Gohan felt the overwhelming urge to join Trunks behind Videl's body, but then realized that most probably her scorn wasn't directed at him and he would leave poor Goten whimpering behind nothing. 

"Ok what the in the name that is holy did you two do to the toilet seat?! And where are my tea leaves?!" She stopped to glower at the two chibis, who were shaking uncontrollably behind their human shields.

"Don't use the frying pan mommy! Trunks said that we can make a big bowl of tea in the toilet!"

"No I didn't! Goten said he wanted some tea!"

"Nuh-uh! Trunks said that we can make a lot of tea in the toilet!"

Both Gohan and Videl burst out laughing while Chi-Chi exchanged a forlorn glance with Bulma, who had just appeared from the narrow archway of the house. 

"Gohan! You're back, and with Videl," she clasped her hands together with a broad smile plastered on her face. "Hum! I need to buy a crib, ooohhh, set the wedding menu…" At about this point both Gohan and Videl exchanged frustrated glances with each other as a smirking Bulma piped from behind,

"Oh, Gohaaaaan. You never told me you had a _girlfriend_. Well, aren't you going to introduce us to her or do I have to find out who your love interest is?"

"Bulma! We're just friends!"

"That's what they all say, Gohan!"

"Geez, you guys jump to conclusions way too fast!" Gohan threw up his hands exasperated, simultaneously winking at his 'friend', who also was feigning annoyance and glowing with glee on the inside.

"Sure, Gohan. If it was like that, then why would you protest so much?"

"Because it's all wrong!"

"The guilty are afraid, Gohan."

Gohan just shook his head while Bulma and Videl conversed in idle chatter, the usual woman talk. Videl could barely contain her surprise when she figured out she was talking to Bulma Briefs, owner of Capsule Corporation and her surprise heightened in discerning that Gohan chatted with her like she was his mother, or close family. There were still a lot of things she had yet to discover in the enigma that is her boyfriend, and she'd be damned if anyone would stop her.

In the course of these new developments, both chibis had scuttled off into the house fearing further admonishment from their respective mothers. Both chibis, unsupervised, left to their own devices, in Chi-Chi's home spelled trouble, big trouble. Soon enough, they heard a loud 'crash' followed by girlish screams as both chibis raced out of the home faces ashen with fear. Both mothers whirled around to face the panicking duo and yelled as loud as their respective lungs could permit in unison, Chi-Chi's being slightly louder and more piercing than her counterpart's,

"What did you two DO THIS TIME?!"

"Nothing!" Both chorused, voices a little higher than normal.

Both mothers proceeded to give the death glare at them, as Videl watched both of them squirm uneasily under the heated glares. She stifled a laugh at their antics and Gohan just shook his head in resignation. 

"We…We wanted to build…the world's largest tower…" Trunks managed to choke out through chattering teeth, deciding to be the spokesperson for the Infernal Duo. 

Chi-Chi looked at their faces in horror, trying to decipher that statement into all its possible extremes. One could call that pessimistic, but when your dealing with these two vagabonds then one quickly learns to expect the worst. Chi-Chi dashed into her home as all three adults looked on blankly at her retreating form. Gohan calmly placed both his hands over his ears, clamping them so hard that his ears hurt. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Both chibis panicked, and yelling 'run for it!' blasted off into the sky for some unknown destination. Bulma quickly shoved a crumpled piece of paper in Gohan's hand and said as fast as she could,

"Get these groceries and don't let those two get into any more trouble!"

Gohan nodded mutely and grabbed his astonished girlfriend, blasting off after the two frightened chibis. His bluish aura enveloped them both, and their pace quickly accelerated so fast that Videl's eyes started to tear up. 

They found the two chibis in a large clearing, 'playing' with a hundred foot two ton dinosaur that had its eyes as wide as saucers. Both seemed to have blissfully forgotten their little incident a few moments before and were in the process playing 'catch' with said dinosaur, hurling the poor thing across the clearing as fast as they could. Imagine if one chibi were to miss the hurtling reptile. The collateral damage would be immense. 

Videl stared incredulously at the scene playing out before her eyes, mouth open in a conspicuous gape. Gohan chuckled to himself and cupped his hands, calling out, "Trunks, Goten. How 'bout we go get some ice cream?"

Unfortunately, Gohan's timing was a little off, and both chibis turned towards his direction just as Trunks hurled the immense reptile towards Goten. Upon seeing Gohan and because of the lure of ice cream, both chibis abandoned their game and whooped ecstatically as they approached the two teens. They heard a deafening whine, or something of the like, as the gigantic creature hurtled past their view and onwards towards the horizon. The force of the throw was enough so that the creature maintained a parallel conduit with the ground, even after a few seconds of travel. Its once deafening whine had receded gradually until it was a mere tickle to the ears, disappearing amongst the woodlands some miles off. 

"Ice cream! YAY!"

"This time I'm going to sample every single flavor before I pick my scoop!" Trunks conspired with pleasure, rubbing his hands together in glee. Videl smiled at them both, and the foursome continued on towards Satan City, Videl cradled in Gohan's arms whilst the two chibis flew adjacent to them. Videl surreptitiously nipped at Gohan's ear from her vantage point, loving every minute of his nervous glances at the two chibis. 

The relatively short trip to the city ended without incident, as both chibis refrained from any devilish deeds, probably because they were having dreams of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and other flavors. Gohan instructed them all to land quickly in a deserted alleyway, to avoid suspicion from the general populace. It isn't every day you see a teen and two kids flying around like it's the most natural thing in the world. 

They approached the supermarket, a big building with a ridiculously large parking lot that was half full, or half empty, depending on your perception of life. Now you can vividly visualize some bald shrink (A/N-Frasier!) explaining to you the netiquettes of harboring these conceptions, the pessimism and optimism reflected in your views and such. Disregard it as utter bullshit that only serves to cloud your judgment on life further and nothing else. Gohan glanced at the sheet of paper, which had a commendable list of supplies needed. He wondered what it was for. Were they having a party or something tonight? 

As soon as the group entered through the sliding doors into the air conditioned confines of the "Joule" (A/N-Jewel Osco can't sue me for that) supermarket they were greeted with the periodic 'beep' of the cashier sensors. Determined at the task at hand, Gohan grasped his girlfriend's hand and maneuvered them through the rotating entrance thing and stared intently at the various aisle signs. Glancing at the grocery 'wishlist', he planned a rough route of the supermarket to attain all the objects at hand with minimal time wastage. He didn't know why he needed to save time anyway. It wasn't like he had some pressing matter to attend to. But by nature Son Gohan was a methodical person. 

"Ok, we need some soap," he announced to their group.

"Soap?"

"Yeah soap."

"Gohan, can we go check out the toy section? Please?"

"Oh no you don't. Last time you guys disemboweled all the Barbie dolls in stock." He remembered the way in which the astonished store clerk found the butchered dolls, some with heads or various limbs missing, laying strewn in the toy aisle. He also remembered how Bulma had to sweet talk the manager and compensate for the mass of broken figurines. 

"Oh come on big brother, please?" Goten immediately put on the wide-eyed puppy dog look, something that tugged at Videl's heart again. Damn these Son men.

"Oh just let them go Gohan."

"No way! And Bulma isn't even here to pay for all the damage they'd cause."

"We won't do anything, we promise." Goten looked up at him with innocent eyes, hope clearly reflected in those shimmering black orbs.

"Let 'em go. Besides," she nudged him in the rib cage, "They'd leave us alone."

Gohan glanced warily at his girlfriend, and then trained his sight at the two hopeful chibis. Sighing in defeat he pointed towards the toy aisle, "Alright. But I swear, if you guys do anything I'll leave you locked up in a room and let mom rant your ears off, you hear?"

Both chibis shuddered involuntarily and nodded eagerly, waving their small 'thanks' and darting off towards the other end of the supermarket. Gohan watched them disappear in the crowd of shoppers, already dreading the decision he had just made.

"Well, let's get this over and done with."

"I take it you don't like shopping?" Gohan asked, smirking despite himself. Somehow, he had known the answer to that before he even asked. 

"Was that a rhetorical question?"

"Was _that_ a rhetorical question?"

"Yes."

"Oh the irony."

She punched him lightly in the arm and continued on to the vast selection of soap bars, liquid soap, and some brush thing she'd never seen before. 

"Ok, which soap?"

"I dunno," Gohan shrugged, as he picked up a bar of Dial soap. He turned it over in his hands and inspected its ingredients and such, finally nodding in approval. He was about to put it in the shopping cart his girlfriend had unceremoniously stolen from some old hag, when something caught his eye. It was something printed in bold black on the packaging of the soap bar. Curious, he perused it and it read as follows: 'Directions: Use like regular soap.' 

"And that would be how?"

"What?"

"Read this," he showed the packaging label of the soap, to which his girlfriend read and chuckled.

"You'd think they would be more specific."

"Yeah, I really think that I would think twice about using a bar of soap like I use, well, a bar of soap!"

They continued on with the grocery list, most condiments ranging from party supplies and drinks and such. It really looked like there was going to be party sometime soon. After passing in through the refrigerated aisle, his attention was caught on a frozen dinner. Curious to see how someone could possibly bear this precooked trash, he picked it up. 'Serving suggestion: Defrost.' Videl peered over his arm to read what he was staring incredulously at, and again felt to urge to chuckle.

"It's only a _suggestion_ though," Gohan quipped to Videl, not hiding his amusement. He was beginning to like making fun of corporate stupidity. Videl sighed and shook her head, as Gohan was picking up anything and everything that interested him just to pick out some flaw. Soon, he crowed in triumph and held a package of Bread Pudding. 

He read it out aloud for the benefit of his sighing girlfriend, grinning from ear to ear. " 'Warning: Product will be hot after heating.' And you thought…?"

She smiled and quipped back, "Maybe they're talking about nuclear fission or something."

He had a Hair dryer in his hands and again read out aloud, " 'Do not use while sleeping,' Gee, that's the only time I have to work on my hair…"

An Iron box in his hand, " 'Do not iron clothes on body.' Wouldn't that save me more time, Videl?"

Soon, a large bag of Fritos made its way into his hands. " 'You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.' What, the shoplifter special?"

A children's cough medicine bottle soon was the object of his attention. " 'Do not operate an automobile or heavy machinery after ingestion.' Now, we can do a whole lot to the rate of construction accidents if we kept those five year olds with colds off those goddamned forklifts!" Videl chuckled heartily at that comment Gohan made. At times, if he wanted to, he could have quite the sense of humor. 

He picked up a Nytol sleep aid bottle, which was in close proximity to the cold medicine. " 'Warning: May cause drowsiness.' Why am I taking this again?"

"Geez Gohan, one would think your getting a great pleasure in making fun of people that can't even hear you."

"You can hear me. I like to see you laugh. You look gorgeous when you laugh."

She blushed a little and smiled, "And I'm not if I don't laugh?"

"Oh yes you are, you just don't show it that well."

She clasped his hand and continued on, systematically chucking in the groceries into the shopping cart as they moved along. Christmas was nearing, well, for the early planners that is. It was only the start of November, somewhat chilly but not full-fledged winter yet, and some stores were already starting to stock up on Christmas supplies. They walked past several bundles of Christmas lights, with signs proclaiming 'Beat the Christmas rush now with our quality brand lights!" Gohan peered at one, only to burst out laughing as he instinctually pulled his petite love closer to his body. She glanced at him and exclaimed, "Not again! What did you find this time?"

He pointed to one Christmas light's packaging, " 'For indoor and outdoor use only.' What I want to know is, as opposed to what?" Videl smiled at snuggled in closer to Gohan, enjoying the warmth of his large and muscular chest. 

Finally, with two shopping carts packed to the brim, courtesy another old hag's cart stolen, they headed for the checkout counter. He paused to pick up a packet of nuts, opening it and popping a few in to his mouth. He offered some to Videl, but she declined. Shrugging, he did what he was dying to do, and checked the packaging. Videl rolled her eyes and put on a patient face, waiting for the ensuing comment. 

" 'Warning: Contains nuts. Packaged in a facility that handles nuts.' Wow, talk about a news flash. Who would have thought that nuts would contain nuts, and would be manufactured around a bunch of other nuts?"

Videl grinned broadly and surveyed her surroundings, finally spotting the two devilish chibis chatting near the exit. They had got bored and decided to wait of them she figured, so she placed the two shopping carts in line at the checkout counter. 

She just remembered something funny, and since the topic was corporate stupidity she decided to share with her amused boyfriend. 

"Hey, I just remembered something. Last summer my father and I went to America for some promotional trip. We flew American Airlines and I got hungry, and since it would be some time for them to serve dinner they gave me a packet of nuts. Well, I ate it and had nothing to do, so I started playing with the wrapper until I finally forced myself to read it over, just for the sake of doing something." Gohan grinned, this was getting to be good. "Well, I read the instructions and it read: 'Instructions: Step 1: Open packet. Step 2: Eat nuts.'" She burst out laughing as Gohan chuckled heartily, slipping an arm around her slender waist. 

"Step 3: uh…fly United?"

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they had everything they needed bagged and ready for hauling back to his house. Only problem was, Gohan forgot to get money from Bulma. Panicking, he looked at Videl for help. She sighed, and checked the whole thing out on her card, rationalizing that if her Daddy _ever_ checked the bill, then she'd come up with some lame excuse.

Meanwhile, both chibis were chattering excitedly outside about the new Supersoaker when a thoroughly inebriated man knocked Goten down. He had two buddies, presumably his lackeys, flanked on both sides as he smirked at Goten's fallen form. The little chibi got up a little irritated, as he peered up at the goon and smelled the putrid odor of liquor coming from him. 

"Hey mister, don't mess with my friend," Trunks bravely declared, defending his comrade. 

"Or what ya gonna do, call yer mommy?" The leader retorted, swaying slightly to the sides as he tried to steady his balance. 

"No, I'm gonna do this!" Trunks held out his hand, and soon the white cloth covering the goon's crotch area erupted in flames. It took a while for the intoxicated buffoon to realize this, and finally when he smelled something cooking he began running around like a headless chicken screaming, 

"Put it out! Put it out!"

One of the lackeys acted upon his first instinct. No. It wasn't to yell stop, drop and roll. He threw the panicking goon down, and started stomping away at his, well, crotch area. Terrible howls of anguish could be heard from the unfortunate thug as his friend kept stomping away at his genitals in an attempt to douse the fire. Soon, the last remnants of the fire flickered away, leaving only the charred and tattered remains of the goon's pants and underwear. His eyes had glazed over and faint moaning was being emanated from him. The other thug whispered to the one who had so efficiently doused the fire, "Wh…Where did you learn how to put out a camp fire?"

"Uh…The boy scouts?"

Both chibis erupted in howls of laughter, as they clutched their tiny bellies and rolled on the floor in agony. A small crowd had gathered around the fallen men and little boys, watching on in amusement. Of course, they hadn't known what the cause of the fire was, not suspecting the little kids of any magic or anything, but were amused at the scene nonetheless.

Gohan came out holding a ridiculous number of shopping bags, followed by his girlfriend, and gaped at the scene. Both Trunks and Goten were rolling around the floor in laughter, while he could see another man laying on the asphalt of the parking lot, smoke emitting from his, ahem, crotch area. Two other men were looking over their fallen buddy, while Gohan immediately frowned at the hysterical chibis.

"Alright, what did you two do this time?"

(A/N- I think that a long update once a week suits me better than the twice a week regimen. I dunno, too much high school activities going down that is restricting my time. Oh yeah, I decided to make this kinda comical and lighthearted, given all the sentimental drab I've been spewing for the past couple of chapters. Hope you got a smile or two from it. It may be a little zany, but hey, what can you expect from a person being sacked repeatedly by a six foot five three hundred-pounder, _after_ I threw the ball. Yes, when being a quarterback, watching such a large form barreling towards you can be very scary indeed. Especially when the stupid offensive linesman doesn't know not to hit after I threw…I shoulda complained about roughing the passer.)

"Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself."

**-A. H. Weiler (1909 - 1943)**


	13. The Façade Drops: Deception Ascends

The Façade Drops: Deception Ascends

"The art of life is to show your hand. There is no diplomacy like candor. You may lose by it now and then, but it will be a loss well gained if you do. Nothing is so boring as having to keep up a deception."

**-E. V. Lucas**

"Wh…why the hell did you roast his…uh…" Gohan stammered, as the quartet headed back towards the 439 mountain area. He was thinking of a way to convey his qualms as euphemistically as possible. The problem was, he didn't know any euphemistic terms for the word 'genitals'. He only knew its vulgar subsidiaries. 

Last term being implied by his frantic tone, Trunks responded rather indignant. "I was sticking up for Goten! The bald idiot was punking him off! What, helping your best pal is a crime nowadays?"

"No, but helping your best pal by charbroiling people's genitalia in an open flame fashion is. At least I think it is. I have to check with my law teacher," Videl replied, the usual half-smirk half-smile adorning her mouth.

Gohan shook his head in resignation as the small Son abode came into view. The small procession of demi-saiyans and a human landed on the grassy threshold, all lost in various thoughts of conflict. Gohan in a state of astonishment, Videl mentally surveying her new 'family' so to speak, and both chibis lost in haphazard and totally unrelated thoughts. They hadn't noticed the faint noise of hustling and bustling going about inside the domed dwelling, neither would they have noticed even if they weren't all currently immersed in their respective reveries. Gohan entered without knocking, his small troop in tow, and stopped suddenly at the sight that greeted him. He felt someone bump into his muscular back as an irritated chorus of 'oofs' and 'ouch' emanated from behind him. The whole thing looked goofy. 

Bulma and Chi-Chi were inside, one hollering at a bunch of men and women clad in white in the hallway while the other was bossing around another set of people clad in white, with large white hats that puffed up at the top, in the kitchen. Given the number of people crammed into the small abode, the feeling of congestion was highly prevalent. Also the feeling of life was there too, as the hired help, he assumed, were performing various chores. Most of them crowded around Gohan and his ménage (A/N-to him at least), waiting patiently for them to step aside and let them file outside. He dumbly moved to the side, and watched the small pageant of servants file out carrying various supplies and capsules as they got to work, setting up the table arrangement and whatnot for some sort of dinner. 

"Uh…Mom, what's going on?" The four blank looks from two teens and two chibis accentuated the question, leaving the onus upon the two mothers to reply. 

"Oh nothing sweetie, Bulma and I wanted to organize a get together. Since it's a nice day and with winter coming in soon we won't be having those frequently, we decided today was perfect."

"Wouldn't it be smarter and more manageable to have this at Capsule Corp.? I mean, exactly how long did it take for them," he jerked his thumb towards the set of white-clad 'domestic engineers' and continued, "To get here?"

"No, we have too many at CC, and anyway, it can't reproduce the calm and peacefulness this place brings," Bulma explained from behind, simultaneously hollering at some poor maid for placing the punch bowl too close to the dishes, and various other idiosyncrasies harbored by proactive mothers on a 'arranging a party' rush. 

The weather was a little chilly, but the sun was out full swing and not a cloud could be spotted in the vast blue expanse for miles. Even though the days had shortened twilight wasn't expected until at least six thirty. Currently it was close to four, with the teenager's trip to the supermarket spanning nearly half an hour to three quarters of an hour. 

Both chibis glanced at each other, and whooping joyously rushed outside to bother the servants. Gohan and Videl decided to help unload the groceries and help with the odd job here and there. They both considered it a little fun to be caught up in the excited frenzy both mothers were at, and were each consigned to different chores. Gohan had to call the 'Z-gang' and confirm their arrivals, since it seemed to Gohan that both mothers had been planning this without his knowledge, whilst Videl helped Chi-Chi in the kitchen. 

Videl couldn't help but feel this overwhelming notion that she was intruding on the privacy of the Sons and their 'family'. Judging by the way Gohan talks about the people she assumed were invited, the 'Z-gang' as he so affectionately dubbed them, she knew he considered them all more than family after all the adventures they were mixed up in, mostly with his dad and himself. With the kind of intimacy and camaraderie these people shared with each other, she felt oddly displaced. Sure she and Gohan were sweetly in love and destined to be together for all of eternity, or so she liked to think. But she realized that she didn't know the first thing about anybody else save a handful of people, and them likewise. Feeling disturbed, she relinquished her job of assisting with the baking of a cake, an enormous cake judging by the flour and stuff (A/N-ok ok, I dunno the ingredients of a cake, geez…I like to eat them though…), she wandered off in search of Gohan. 

She found him shortly after in the living room, sitting comfortably on a sofa-chair and conversing idly with someone; someone close as his joking demeanor betrayed. She slowly padded towards him as he gave her a look of acknowledgement and said his goodbyes to whoever it was on the other line. 

"Yeah, ok Yamcha, I'll see ya at the party. Yeah, no, No! Isn't that Master Roshi's job or something? Ok, bye." He clicked the 'talk' button on the cordless and flipped through a small black book, obviously searching for another name and number to call and confirm. "Wanted anything, love?"

She frantically swiveled her head around to make sure no one was in earshot. With all the fuss going on about the party preparations, she didn't doubt that they'd take no heed to her shouting out a proclamation of her undying love for Gohan, let alone a small absent-minded remark from him. "Don't tell me you meant Yamcha, The Yamcha, or THE Master Roshi for that matter."

"Yup. I dunno why the whole emphasis was on 'THE'."

She smacked him playfully and sat down on the side cushion of the one-seater, giving him a rueful look. "I wanted to meet the legendary master of the arts the Turtle Hermit for so long! Why didn't you tell me?"

Gohan chuckled as he lay back in his seat, giving her an amused smirk. "Trust me, your expectations are immensely overrated." 

She decided to ignore his last statement, and moved on to her object of concern. "Gohan, I know that the people coming over mean a lot to you. And…" she hesitated, her eyes downcast as she continued shyly, "I don't mind helping out and stuff, but I couldn't help but feeling like I'm intruding on something I shouldn't be, you know? I mean…"

She was interrupted by Gohan. Well more like interrupted by him grasping her waist and pulling her in his lap, uncaring if anyone saw him at that particular moment. "Hey, you know I want you to be here at the party. And you also know that my mom and Bulma want you here as well. It'll be fun, you'll get to meet my extended family. They're a great bunch of people, once you get past their _obvious _manufacturing defects!"

She laughed faintly, beaming down at him. "I would like to meet your family, but still, all these people mean so much to you and I would be just interfering in your private time—," again she was interrupted, this time by a wail of exasperation from her boyfriend. 

"Videeeeeeeeelllllll! This is stupid. You know that you mean much more to me than they could ever do, and I am not just saying that. SO, if this is a get together of all the people who mean the most to me, you and my dad would be the FIRST people on my guest list. Since I can't have the best of both worlds (A/N-Literally and figuratively ;x), I think I would choose you over my dad. No disrespect to him, I could never do that. But you're just…special…"

She smiled as he brushed his nose against hers, in an embarrassing display of public affection. She was awed by that statement, and knew that she had chosen the right person for her life partner. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, and reality. Both of them still had to graduate from high school for Pete's sake! But, in her heart, she knew, without an inkling of doubt, or distrust, or cynicism, that they were meant for each other and that was how it was going to stay. She knew Gohan, and she'd like to think she knew herself. 'Know thyself' was how the Latin saying went.

With that little quandary quelled, Videl went back to helping in the kitchen while Gohan dialed some numbers and chatted away with another member of the 'Z-gang'. Both teens were too preoccupied with their chores to realize that nearly all pre-party preparations had been completed. Of course, cue now the customary 'last minute touches' administered by two self-proclaimed party experts, and mothers. 

Gohan set the cordless back in its cradle and wandered into the kitchen where an ambrosial aroma wafted out from, tantalizingly tickling his olfactory senses. More like a moth drawn to a flame, he strolled into the tiled kitchen and drooled at the sight of the various victuals that made up the cuisine. Chi-Chi and Videl, at the moment, were caught up in concentrated mensuration over the various foodstuff and the respective tables they were supposed to be placed. It seemed that there wasn't enough space to fit the massive cuisine on to the tables set up outside. He didn't know how measuring the dishes would help them, and shrugged his shoulders as he stole a rice ball and popped it into his mouth. 

"Gohan! Stop that, or I'll have to restore law and order with an iron hand, or pan, is more likely." Gohan sweat-dropped considerably, frozen in mid-thrust as his hand already had stole out for another delicious morsel, only to be stopped by Chi-Chi's stern admonishment. What was even more flabbergasting was that she hadn't even diverted her attention from her measuring! It was like she had a food proximity sensor calibrated in her brain. 

Identify anything that moves towards food…

React by issuing verbal admonishment…

If unsuccessful, most likely in the case of Saiya-jin men, threaten with a certain metallic kitchen utensil…

If target unperturbed by aforementioned warnings, authorized to use said utensil with extreme prejudice…

Gohan mentally chuckled to himself at the vivid picture of Chi-Chi acting like a proximity sensor that had popped up in his mind. Both raven-haired women turned towards him brandishing similar beads of sweat on their temples. Gohan was snickering to himself, his statuesque form held stiff with his hand frozen in mid-lunge at one of the food bowls, and had an aloof expression plastered on his face. 

"Has he been drinking the school water?" Chi-Chi asked blankly.

"I think he ate that month-old tuna sandwich crammed in my locker yesterday, that or it just got up and vanished without a trace…"

"Most likely the former," and both women still stared impassively at the tall spiky-haired teen, who now also had a river of drool trickling down the side of his mouth. 

Videl stood up and walked briskly to his motionless physique and promptly bopped him on the head. Instantly he snapped out of his trance and rubbed his rump, glaring at Videl. She smiled sweetly at him, and returned to whatever it was that both women were preoccupied with before. 

***************************

"Hey, Gohan! Long time, no see, bud!" The short man, clad in a red shirt and khaki pants, exclaimed loudly at the door. If fact, he was so short, he'd make Vegeta appear tall and imposing. The midget entered, trailed by a beautiful blonde woman and a somewhat chubby, with braided blonde hair, child. 

"Hey Krillin! Good to see ya old man!" 

"Old man? I'd have you know I am not nearly as old as…as…Vegeta!"

"What was that midget?!" A voice roared from somewhere off yonder, probably some dark corner where the sadistic egomaniac brooded over his 'misfortunes'. 

"Eh heh. See ya Gohan, gotta use the john!" Krillin quickly shuffled towards the hallway, and disappeared before any pointy-haired spandex-clad narcissists with weird foreheads decided to get physical. A consistent wave of Z-senshi kept appearing, some with families and others single. Even Piccolo didn't pass up the opportunity for a gathering, most probably to please his student and first friend. 

Soon, a gathering of some of the most elite fighters on Earth, and some in the known Universe, had been assembled in a small domed dwelling in the 439 mountain area. One would think that some dilemma of intergalactic proportions was going to take place with such an assembly of fighters. Of course, the most elite fighter was not present at the time, but this was not a gathering intended to dwell on melancholy memories. It was intended for quite the contrary. 

Some of the very best, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, both chibis, Krillen et al., Tien, Yamucha, Choutzu, Android 17 (Even he decided to come, abandoning his long spell of reticence and isolation), and even Master Roshi, were crammed in the small Son home. 

"Alright people, it's getting way too claustrophobic in here!" Krillin remarked, back from his pit stop. 

"Yeah, I agree man." Yamucha commented agreeably. Most of the other Senshi nodded their heads in assent, save for the few (Or perhaps many?) reticent ones. 

"You guys can go on outside. This was a party intended for the outdoors you know," Bulma proclaimed loudly, rolling her eyes at the questioning glances she got. 

They shuffled out noisily, conversing about the past and generally enjoying each other's company. Gohan breathed in deeply, mentally preparing himself for the arduous task at hand, and then motioned for his silent 'friend' to follow him out the door. He walked up to a group of Tien, Yamucha, Krillin and Choutzu, the 'male congregation' of his father's friends from way before. 

"Hey Gohan," then eyeing the new girl with a smirk, "Who's the new blood? Finally decided to 'hook-up' with someone?" It was probably a lame attempt on Krillin's part to pass off as some teen, but it pushed all the right buttons. 

"No Krillin, she's a friend from school. You may know her," Gohan responded, a little too cool for comfort. Perhaps all that mental preparation through Piccolo's meditation techniques really worked. Of course doubting them in the first place would earn you the scorn of the imposing Namek-jin. 

"Aw come on pal, don't be shy. I see the way your face is flushing just introducing her!" Krillin pressed, sneakily jabbing the much taller saiya-jin's rib cage with his elbow. 

Videl had already abandoned her half saiya-jin boyfriend and left him to face the shrewd ex-monk and his verbal jibes alone. She figured she couldn't be bothered with defending such a pointless cause anyway. Sure she was indomitable with regards to her abilities in her own right, but even she knew when to acknowledge a hopeless cause and move on. Gohan meanwhile, had let his frontage of calm disintegrate into undecipherable pieces and was in the process of frantically denying Krillin's allegations. 

As was expected, his panicked denials had no effect on the trio of human fighters (A/N-I do believe Choutzu is human) as their transparent snickers fuelled Gohan's denying spree even further. Generally frivolous gossip and idle conversing had been the theme of today's party, as the guests enjoyed an absolutely delectable cuisine and took a trip down memory lane. Even with having to relapse into denial every five minutes or so, Gohan thoroughly enjoyed this 'reunion' of sorts and felt the time slip away into the abyss of night. 

All too soon the bright sun had receded away under the horizon, and the cloudless night sky, sporadically interspersed with small shining stars, was accompanied by a drop in the temperature. Gohan watched as Videl casually strolled in the grassy clearing encompassing his home, neck strained backwards as she gazed at the clarity of the country night sky. The twinkling stars embedded in the black blanket canopy shone particularly bright tonight, and even though the sight was relatively familiar to Son Gohan, Videl watched in riveted fascination at the lucid stars. Gohan silently watched her as she continued her midnight stroll, mentally noting that she looked more inapt in the city than she did here. He guessed the halcyon environment of the rural area provided a much-needed hiatus from the commotion of city life. 

"Gohan." He heard his mother's voice emanate from inside his cozy dwelling, and after throwing a long wistful glance at his love he entered his home to seek out his mother. He found her soon enough chatting away merrily with Bulma and Eighteen as she reclined in a comfortable sofa-chair. Gohan gently smiled at his mother, who more than deserved a relaxing evening to socialize with her close friends and earn some time away from slaving in a kitchen almost perpetually. Although she didn't seem like it, his mother was naturally gregarious if a person managed to break through her strict demeanor and uncompromising attitude. She could be quite enjoyable to converse with if one strayed away from the sensitive subjects that frequently caused her to dramatize the issue. 

"You called mom?"

"Oh yes son, can you be a dear and bring me my photo album? It's in the room, top drawer." She smiled proudly at her son, as if boasting to the other two women about her luck in progeny.

"Sure mom, be right back." Gohan carefully navigated a path between running chibis, chitchatting adults and growling Princes to make it to the corridor. It seemed that everybody was crammed into the living at the moment, save for Videl, who presumably was still admiring the view. The corridor was dark and awkwardly lonely, so Gohan whistled to himself a tune he picked up on the radio as he walked towards his mother's bedroom. He suddenly felt Videl's _ki_ spike, as if under duress, but as quickly as it appeared it vanished. It was accompanied almost simultaneously by a double _ki _spike from Goten and Trunks, and Gohan's rapidly beating heart calmed slowly and he began to loosen up his stiff posture. Shaking his head and laughing, he chided himself for being so tense and deduced that the chibis were imposing their own brand of 'playing' on his ailing girlfriend. He chuckled at the thought of Videl being dragged between the two vibrant chibis as they argued over who would get to play with her first. 

This side of the house seemed eerily silent and desolate—which usually wasn't the case—but Gohan shrugged off the suspicious foreshadowing and entered his mother's bedroom. Fumbling against the wall his calloused fingers finally found the light switch, and a 'flick' later the room became dimly illuminated in a yellow glow. His mother's room wasn't much different from his—or even from any other room in his house—albeit it was larger than his own bedroom. The décor was relatively congruous with the idyllic style of the other wall ornaments and interior decoration Chi-Chi was comfortable with. She wasn't much enamored by fancy expensive jewelry, or ridiculously extravagant furniture and overpriced paintings (Not that she could afford it, mind you). Living her childhood and subsequent adult life in this rural area instilled within her a strong affinity for the simple picturesque environment she was used to. How this environment nurtured the budding young lady influenced her choice in décor, cooking, and even recreation. Gohan quickly opened the top drawer in his mother's dresser and rummaged through the contents until he exclaimed in triumph. Carefully picking out the dusty, ink-blotched and worn leather-bound album he replaced the jutting drawer into its slot, and headed back towards the living area. 

He turned the album over in his hands, peering down at it in calculating scrutiny as he tried to remember what kind of pictures it contained. Surprisingly, he concluded that he never saw this album before. He was sure, because a particularly conspicuous yellow stain marred the brown leather on the back, and he supposed he would remember such an identifying mark. Attempting to assuage his curiosity, the tall saiya-jin literally 'peeled' off the cover to reveal a photograph neatly encased in a transparent envelope of the album. The photograph was old, the black-and-white and blurry focus attesting to that fact. There was a determined, but astute looking girl with dark hair staring back at what apparently was the camera taking the photograph. He guessed her age to be about seven or eight, no less than ten, and she was splendidly dressed with what he presumed to be fashionable clothes back in those days. Still casually flipping through the album, Gohan re-entered his living room and strolled over to the small group of mothers seated near the fireplace. 

"Hey mom, who's this?" Gohan interrupted the women's tête-à-tête while still peering at that one girl. 

"Who dear?" Chi-Chi replied to her eldest, as Eighteen and Bulma threw inquisitive looks at the dusty old book in Gohan's hands.

Gohan bent down to his mother's sitting level and pointed at the photograph in question. She took the album from Gohan and tilted it a little to allow the light emitted from the fireplace to properly illuminate the picture. Chi-Chi smiled remorsefully as she stared at the black-and-white photo, the tarnished edges and wilting paper adding an intangible effect on her trip down memory lane. 

"That's my mother Gohan, when she was a child." Her voice was soothingly soft and distant, almost melancholy.

"Wow, you sure look a lot like her mom."

The ends of Chi-Chi's lips tugged upwards, as she beamed at photograph in her hand, "You really think so?"

"Of course mom! The resemblance between you two is nearly the same as Goten's to dad!"

"Oh? Let me see!" Bulma squealed excitedly, leaping off the couch opposite Chi-Chi like an effervescent teenage girl. Eighteen's reaction was much more muted, but even she relinquished her place on the armchair to sneak a peak. 

Chi-Chi laughed as her long-time blue haired friend squeezed herself in the space beside her on the overstuffed one-seater to have a closer look. 

"Oh, you two look like twins when you were her age Chi!" Both women giggled in delight as they started flipping through the other pictures, Chi-Chi was more than happy to play narrator for the other women. Eighteen casually strolled behind the enthused mothers, folding her arms on the back of the chair and glancing at the photographs of Chi-Chi's family. 

"It must be nice having pictures of your parents and grandparents around," Eighteen mused forlornly. She never knew if she looked like her mother. Heck, she didn't even know if her parents even exist today. After Dr. Gero administered the android transformation to her, she lost all her childhood memories. She had no idea where she lived as a child, or who she played with and what kind of life she had. She felt a bit empty for that. It was like she never even existed before Dr. Gero had activated them. Her memory banks started with that, the first thing she ever saw being the insides of the coffin-like contraption Gero kept them locked in. She was a strong girl though, and what she lacked in herself she made up for in the joy of witnessing her little girl grow up. She knew now the elation and bliss associated with a family, how the unconditional love and support changed a person. Seventeen though, was her only blood relative and she found herself frequently worried about him. She didn't let on much in terms of her emotions, always hiding behind a mask of indifference and languor. She was always the introverted and reclusive type. But that didn't necessarily mean that she didn't care, not anymore. 

Seventeen used to frequent her in the first couple of years after her marriage to Krillin. He even actually played with his baby niece a lot as he slowly began to change for the better. But after the first three years or so, his visits became intermittent, then occasional, finally tapering off to nothing voluntarily. He would come reluctantly if she had specifically instructed him to do so. She figured he was under a stage of regression, as loneliness slowly ate at him. He needed to be with someone to freshen up his social life, which included talking to himself and his 'pet' wolf more often than not. She was determined to set him up with somebody, regardless of how unappealing the role of 'matchmaker' was to her. Many women would love to indulge themselves in this risky game of mix-and-match, but as anyone would have discerned, she wasn't the type. But she had to do it, because if she didn't care about him then who will? 

Gohan wandered outside into his 'front yard', glancing around for any signs of Videl. He peered out into the darkness, squinting his eyes and scanning the clearing around him. She was no where to be found. Even a scan of her _ki_ resulted with nothing. Which was odd, because if she was in the near vicinity he could almost always pick her _ki_ signature out, regardless of how many people were around and how relatively low her _ki_ level was (compared to what he's used to). Her life essence, every single quirk and detail of it, was etched in his heart forever. He could never forget her, or how she felt, or how her _ki_ positively glowed with warmth. Furrowing his brows in concentration, he briskly entered his house again and made a quick scan of the living room. Still no sign of her. 

_Oh yeah, she was playing with the chibis a little while ago. Better ask them if she had said anything to them._

Gohan found the two ruffians wrestling each other in the guest room and yelling heatedly. 

"Give it back!"

"No! You don't know how to do it!"

"Nuh-uh! I do too!"

Gohan strolled over to the tussling duo and yanked them both up by their collars. Observing the controller pad clutched tightly in Goten's hands, Gohan concluded that they were fighting over a video game. 

"Hey, what's the big idea Gohan?" Trunks exclaimed heatedly, narrowing his little eyes in his best attempt to emulate a Vegeta-esque glare. 

Gohan shook his head and chuckled, saiya-jins will be saiya-jins. "Hey squirts, have you seen Videl around?"

Trunks rolled his eyes at the mention of Videl while Goten shook his head earnestly. Gohan frowned, and then queried, "But weren't you playing with her a little while ago?"

"No Gohan, 'I' was playing Zelda: The Wind Waker and Goten was 'WATCHING' me," and the little prince glared at his best friend, "the whole time."

"What? That can't be, I felt your ki spike with Videl's a little while ago."

The two chibis looked up at him curiously, "No big brother, we didn't do anything with Videl tonight."

_They weren't with her? Their ki must have spiked because they were probably having an argument over the game. That leaves the question, why did Videl's ki spike?_

A palpable sense of dread overtook the saiya-jin, as he dropped both chibis and raced out of the front door and into the clearing. The guests momentarily ceased their idle chatting and stared blankly at the front door, which Gohan had already zoomed out of.

"Videl! Where are you!?" Gohan called out, running aimlessly in the clearing. 

"Gohan? What's wrong?" His mother's concerned voice called out from the threshold of their house. She had her dark eyes trained on him tentatively, as if she could just grasp the magnitude of his concern by his tone. 

Gohan raced back up to the front of the house and frantically looked about. "Mom, have you seen Videl?!" 

Chi-Chi could immediately sense the panic and fear in Gohan's tenor, "No honey, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry over. She probably just went home."

"No! She wouldn't without telling me! Where could she be?!" Gohan was pacing in and out of the house, as if expecting to find Videl hiding somewhere in the kitchen or out in the bushes. 

"She was taking a walk right? Maybe she's out in the forest enjoying the night?" Chi-Chi tried to console her frantic son, reaching out and rubbing his arm.

"I can't feel her _ki_!" Gohan shrugged of his mom's gentle touch and raced towards his bedroom, nearly unhinging his door as he burst into the room. 

"Videl, where are you? Where can you be?" He muttered to himself as he paced about his room, even feeling a compelling urge to look under his bed. But he knew that that was childish; especially since Videl had no idea how to manipulate her own _ki_, much less suppress it. Between his frantic pacing his elbow caught a book on his shelf, causing the thick hardcover book to crash on his floor with a loud 'thud'. Ignoring it, Gohan racked his brain for a solution, still maintaining a repetitive conduit of walking to his closet from his desk, and back again. In his preoccupied state he didn't concentrate on where he was going and promptly fell over the fallen book. Cursing animatedly, he got up and scowled at the pages of text before him. It was a textbook; his physics book to be precise. He wanted so badly to blast the darned thing to oblivion in his agitated state of mind. But the large bold typeface at the top of the page, obviously the title of the section, caught his eye. It read, 'Wavelengths of Colors'. He glanced down the page until his eyes rested upon the color red. 

Red. His memory whizzed backwards in time, finally resting on a specific moment evoked by recollection. A dialogue. A statement. Crimson fluid. Wavelengths. 

_Oh no. It can't be. Android Seventeen?_

* If any one can deduce how Gohan figured out—or 'apparently' is the more operative word—it was the android, then I will be thoroughly impressed. It takes some remarkable perceptive skills coupled with basic scientific facts to figure this out. Indeed, the recollection of Gohan's I alluded to was documented in a previous chapter, and what _specifically _happened in that reminiscence is the key to unlock this conundrum. Speculate away. 

(A/N-Heh, it's been a while eh? I know you (those select few people actually reading this, which incidentally I could count on my fingers) probably want to inflict intense flagellation followed by numerous other painful things on me right now, and I don't think I have a valid enough excuse for my hiatus from writing. I just felt, spent…ya know, like I had nothing left. Exhausted from writing I guess, I needed a change. I just read for the past few months. However, some assiduous and supportive readers did urge me to continue, and I thank them for that. But I don't know why they wanted _me _to continue. Some of the best stories I've read are updated rather intermittently, and I know how that feels. 

The GyrlieGyrados (what's a 'Gyrados'?), who conjured up a remarkable gem of a story, has left me pulling out my hair in anticipation. I don't think her story needs any designation, all of you know of her fic, for her reputation precedes her every time.

CCS AnGeL00 and Absolut Angel have been taking up protracted lengths of time to update their absolutely hilarious and engaging fiction, and again, their reputation too precedes them and I am positive you know which story I'm babbling on about. (They JUST updated, woohoo)

I also extol the authors who grapple with the whole 'mob-arc' introduced in DBZ (I am cognizant of the fact that the Red Shark Gang was introduced primarily as comic relief, but it's a great concept to explore). Specifically writers such as Squirrel Assassin, who portrays how his character and the DBZ characters combat the mob in intuitive ways. His is in the development phase and promises to be entertaining.

The amazingly talented Cka3ka, whose story "Circumstantial Evidence" (She has others) is a genuine attempt at a G/V transpiring around a cop setting, with the mob, crime, deceptive saiya-jins, and all that other juicy mystery/drama stuff thrown in for good measure, an extremely provocative read. She hasn't updated for ages too.

Although Psycho-Ann (another amazing talent) updates habitually, the duration in between is often too prolonged for my feeble story-craving mind to take. She didn't tackle the 'MOB' scene per se, but her premise about bounty hunters and a renegade Videl constitutes immensely enjoyable reading. 

These authors need to update, and readers have the innate prerogative to support them and commend their time consuming and arduous efforts to bring you grade-A entertainment. 

There are probably more that escape my mind or I haven't come across, in which I am gratuitously apologetic. )

"The only charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception necessary for both parties. "

**Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)**


	14. The Advent of Seventeen

The Advent Of Seventeen

"Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved."

**-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469 - 1527), The Prince**

_Ughhh…anyone catch the number of that bus? _

No response. Instead, she could hear a distant, yet abnormally close, 'whooshing' sound in the background. She had to strain her hearing capabilities considerably though, since an intangible haze that engulfed her psyche blotted out the sound aberration. 

_What the hell. Where is that sound coming from? It's so close to me, but I have to strain myself to hear it. Urgh, I think I'm getting senile already. _

She stirred, and ignoring the intense throbbing of her skull, she flitted open her eyes. Her eyes met black. She blinked a couple of times, but seemingly nothing alleviated her sight at the moment. She stared, and the black stared back at her, the color allowing her mind to associate it immediately with something. Eyes. Gohan's eyes. But this black was bigger, in a sense. Engulfing her rather than engaging her, like Gohan's eyes did. 

_Strange. I can't see anything. Am I getting deaf AND blind?! And why the hell am I speaking to myself?? I sure hope I'm not dumb either._

To appease that queasy, nauseous feeling suddenly evident in the pit of her stomach, she gurgled something unintelligible. It sounded like a baby gurgling when it was happy, although there was no flying spittle acting as deadly, and wet, projectiles. Composing her vocal chords, she tried again. Her next attempt, though a considerable improvement from her previous endeavor, didn't seem to quite classify as coherent speech as well. 

"Ughh…" That was all her confused and blurred countenance could muster. 

_What was that?_

She was sure she heard a small noise, incomprehensible, but a noise nevertheless. And a noise that she hadn't made either. She also felt some kind of resonance too. Like some noise was echoing back and forth in an empty chamber. She noticed that that resonance came from the black. Her bewildered disposition though, was quelled rather harshly by her body suddenly falling, and contemporaneously spinning, until she felt an iron grip latch on to her ankle. 

"You're awake." The voice was monotone, languorous. It had a subtle, yet clearly decipherable connotation of contempt. Videl couldn't put a face on that voice though, since she was literally hanging upside down. The pitch black had cleared, replaced by a sudden influx of new images; darkness, sporadically interrupted by lamps above her, and buildings…yes, definitely buildings, tall buildings. 

Even in her disoriented position, her mind rapidly contemplated on her predicament. The darkness, that pervaded and surrounded these images, was the night sky. The lamps were streetlamps, above her only because she was dangling upside down. From the corner of her eye she saw something black, even darker than the night, billowing in the wind. It was her captor's—she presumed that she had been kidnapped—cloak, a dark cloth that shrouded her mystery subjugator in a veil of obscurity. 

_That was the black. The cape, or cloak, whatever. That was what I saw when I first came back to consciousness. That means I was flung over his shoulder, or something to that effect. That's the only reasonable conclusion._

Years of witnessing decadence and debauchery in her volunteer occupation, Videl Satan had become accustomed to the methods of perception used by detectives and their ilk. Rationally perceiving any situation, assessing the available facts and making deductions, as well as some likely presumptions, to have a more lucid case to scrutinize was her first instinct. She did just that, but she could not for her life figure out who it was that had her captive at the moment. There were, though, several clues. They were flying. The 'whooshing' noise and her eyes could attest to that fact. That narrowed down her choices. Also, it was someone strong enough to knock her out. But that didn't help much, considering the fact that she was the weakest flyer in the 'Z' contingent. Gohan had provided that little bit of information. . 

"Ugh, yes I'm awake. Now would you care to put me down?" She tried to front her captor with some aggravation. She couldn't help it. It came to her naturally. She couldn't swallow her pride at being carried off like some pansy 'damsel in distress' of some fairy tale, only to wait until her knight-in-shining armor came to her rescue. She was strong, and resolute, and she was sure that she could take care of herself easily in this world. The thought of living alone, before she met Gohan, drove her to these unprecedented strengths for a human female. 

"Heh. You bore me. Shut up and sit tight." The voice was strangely artificial…she couldn't quite place it, but there was something spurious about it, like a rehashing of something living.

She relented though, now she really wanted to see her 'knight-in-shining armor' come and kick this arrogant son-of-a-bitch's ass straight to hell, and back.

"How can I sit tight? I'm hanging upside down for God's sake!" She exclaimed, scowling at the shrouded figure, not unlike the one she usually trained on Sharpener and the rest of the jocks at school.

The answer she received was a falling sensation, as she realized that the man had let go of her, and she squeezed her eyes shut to await her imminent death. She wanted to scream, call out, but strangely her more than active vocal chords seemed to malfunction. Her lips mouthed a word, specifically a name, but no sound accompanied the synchronized affair. Abruptly she felt herself being yanked upwards, the firm lock again making itself evident on her ankle, as she felt herself flying once again. 

"You realize how serious I am girl? Don't test me."

With that, Videl shut up, feeling genuinely scared. It seemed she was being scared a lot recently, when previously _nothing_ managed to scare her. At least that's what she convinced herself of. 

_Gohan, where are you?_

************************************

"Eighteen!" The furious teenager barraged his way back into the living room, stopping short of the confused android.

"Gohan?"

"Where the hell is your brother!" Eighteen gasped at the teen's effrontery and took a tentative step back. She wasn't offended by profanity and brusqueness per se; after all, she was originally designed to kill. What was astonishing was the fact that this impudence came from none other than Goku's son, another being proving himself worthy of riding the 'nimbus' cloud. I mean, altruism runs in his blood, amongst other things.

"Gohan? What are you talking about?" She witnessed the normally jocular saiya-jin's face contort into a look of rage. 

"I asked you a question. Where…is…he…?" He took great pains to enunciate each word through gritted teeth. 

"I don't know. He left about an hour ago, with the other few that left, citing tiredness as his excuse." Eighteen wasn't one to be intimidated easily, because even though she had mellowed out throughout the course of her marriage, she still retained some of that attitude she had when she first met these 'Z warriors'. So even though the saiya-jin glowered at her menacingly, her stance didn't waver and neither did she flinch.

"Dammit!"

"Why exactly do you need to know where he is?"

"Because he's taken Videl!" Gohan exclaimed, leaving the android perplexed as he headed for the door. 

"What do you mean, Gohan? Seventeen is on our side now, remember?" Eighteen pursued the disconcerted teen as he started to literally wear out the hardwood floor with his frantic pacing. 

"Yeah, it's all a big sham! He tricked me! Used my naiveté to his advantage, made me into a gullible fool! Damn it, I should have been with her. I should have done something. I should have—" Gohan was interrupted by a bellow of exasperation, mixed with contempt and indignation. 

"Shut up boy! If you really are concerned about that Satan brat, stop this mindless blabbing and do something constructive!" Vegeta's eyes had slit threateningly, and although the demeanor in which Vegeta had conveyed this wasn't at all prudent, it did make sense and clicked into the abstracted adolescent. 

"Gohan, calm yourself. Fretting over the past isn't going to help," Piccolo inputted. A slight trace of concern was etched on his otherwise stoic disposition, as he watched his former pupil panic like a child. 

"Ok, I've gotta be calm, be cool. Think. Come on dammit, think." Thoughts did emerge into the semi saiya-jin's mind, but nothing that would alleviate his current predicament or have any value of input whatsoever. Macabre, disturbing thoughts swirled through him. Thoughts about what Videl could be enduring now, or what horrific events had occurred to his sweetheart. Fear, anxiety, and rage were clouding his mind like thick smog. No visibility. No hope in sight. Just haze, a never-ending, all-encompassing, obscuring, miasma. 

Vegeta watched as the boy furrowed his brows in concentration, but try as he might, his attention remained divided. In his preoccupation, relatively nothing constructive was undertaken since he noticed that Videl had gone missing. Vegeta didn't care about the Sons, and especially not about some Human girl whom he hadn't spoken a word to yet. He tried to resist, but it proved futile against that compelling urge he had now to help the distraught boy in his plight. Why? Why would he help him, the son of his arch nemesis? Why did he feel that pricking in his subconscious, urging him to lend a hand? How did compassion breach his armor of narcissism and the ennui he used to feel towards petty human trivialities? The Vegeta of old, the one that would display total apathy for this current scenario, was dead, and he knew it. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but it was there, burning into his pride like acid. Royalty or not, he could not resist that infuriating voice, urging him to do the 'right' thing. The heck with it. He was doing it because he hated that android's guts, yeah. 

"Boy, you're starting to irk me. First of all, tell me why you think the android had a part in this." Gohan raised his distraught face from the sanctity of his palms, and eyed Vegeta with surprise. The glower Vegeta sent straight back at him left no room for argument. It implied a clear-cut message; shut up and comply willingly, or get an earful.

"It's a long story, but to cut it short, I deduced it by science and the fact that he lied to me. It proves enough, as far as I'm concerned, about his deceit."

"So he lied, even androids are capable of lying, I presume." Vegeta was dead set on getting the facts first, before deciding upon the correct course of action.

"He killed somebody, and lied about it to cover it up. He even went so far as to make it appear that he tried to help the man and save him from dying. He put up a whole charade to help me apprehend the supposed murderers. The goddamn charlatan!" Gohan seethed, again letting his emotions bubble up to the surface. Talking a deep, calming breath, he suppressed the sudden insurgence and tried to keep his rationale from completely dissipating. 

"Gohan, losing your cool is the worst thing you can do to Videl at the moment. If you want us to help, tell us what happened with Android Seventeen to make you accuse him of this." Piccolo advised, wisely refraining from jumping to sudden conclusions prematurely. 

With a deep sigh, Gohan recapped the events of the shooting he witnessed before, trying to include every small detail he could recall from his distressed mind. "I didn't pay much attention to detail, but now I remember, or rather, now I realized it. It was always there, for when he showed me the corpse I glanced over it, but I never really deduced or conferred anything at that point. I was preoccupied with pursuing the assailants I saw from before, and Seventeen had diverted my attention away from the dead man. But, as I recall, the point-of-entry of the bullets were on the man's _chest_," he stressed that word considerably. The others, which included his family, Krillen et al. and Vegeta et al., trained blank stares back at him. The rest of the 'Z' gang had already retired to their respective homes.

"The man dived into the water, and conventional wisdom would say that he would be swimming _away_ from the bullets," Gohan clarified, leaving the insinuation of the real perpetrator implied by the statement.

"You say Seventeen emerged with the corpse later?"

"Yeah. I even had a doubt concerning the bullet itself, because the water would have slowed it down considerably."

"Do you have anything else to add?"

"Nope. But, I do remember something. It may be nothing, but when I did confront the guy who shot at the 'dead man' in the first place, he said something about all the gangs in Satan City merging into one giant criminal syndicate."

"So?" Vegeta inquired, while Piccolo deliberated upon what that could mean.

"He said there was a new leader, someone wishing themselves to be hidden."

"You think it's Seventeen?"

"Just a hunch. The guy who was shot, I later found out from the detectives, was part of the Mafia. The guys who were chasing him, the guy I apprehended and who is doing time as we speak in a jail cell for a crime he didn't commit—although I don't feel much remorse for him—are also part of the Mafia. I can formulate two possible hypotheses from this. One: that there was an internal altercation between said members and it ended in this. Or two: the more likely, that they were ordered to dispose of him from the higher-ups."

"Hmm…" Vegeta pondered over this new development, hand on chin.

"Another thing, when Videl was shot," Bulma could plainly see the boy gritting his teeth in an amicable display of self-restraint, "She said that she saw two red 'R's' around the shooter's neck. Seventeen has that bandana tied around his neck sporting the same thing, Red Ribbon. I know the organization is defunct now, and I don't think Seventeen still holds allegiance to it, but he still wears it."

"Gohan, what you said is obscure at best. If, for argument's sake, Seventeen is the leader of this unholy alliance of criminals, then what need was there for him to kill the guy himself? And, what need is there for him to shoot Videl himself as well? It would seem much more plausible that he would let his cronies carry out his dirty work for him. And why shoot? We all know Seventeen doesn't need a gun to kill anyone." Piccolo had decided to play devil's advocate, just to maintain a semblance of balance between the debates of whether or not Seventeen is to blame. He didn't want the Z contingent to jump to erroneous conclusions. Perhaps this was the old geezer he had fused with before, inputting his own breed of rationale into the group.

"There are too many unanswerable questions Piccolo, which gives us reasonable doubt. I mean, the bullet wounds. Obviously, if Seventeen wasn't the killer, there was another shooter inside the lake. And if Seventeen is 'good' now, then he would have noticed the other killer or even had a suspicion. You know how his senses are enhanced. Also the fact that Videl saw the two R's doesn't help his cause either. And, most importantly, the scientific proof. Seventeen told me that he saw a whole bunch of red, stating that because of the blood he was able to find the corpse at the bottom of the lake. He mentioned that the visibility was really poor, hence him having difficulty locating the guy. He said that his enhanced vision didn't help him much. What I want to know is, how did he see the blood? Scientifically, we know, or at least I know, that the color red cannot be seen after a depth of ten to fifteen feet in water. He was at the bottom of the lake, which is significantly deeper."*

"You're right Gohan, I can attest to the fact that he shouldn't have been able to see blood in that scenario." Bulma agreed, employing her remarkable scientific erudition. 

"Ok, then it's established that Seventeen is the killer, or at least, he made up a bogus story to cover up for something that happened back at the harbor. But, if he indeed had taken leadership of the new coalition of thieves, then Piccolo's questions raise several valid points." Gohan was working on all four cylinders now, utilizing his knowledge and above-average intelligence to unwrap the enigma of Seventeen. 

"What did you say about the person killed and the guy who's in jail for allegedly shooting him? They were both in the Mafia? And I don't think there is room for rival gangs here, because as you said they all merged into one." Bulma inquired, engrossing herself in this puzzle that had a lot riding on it. Namely, Videl's life.

"Yup, both in the Mafia. And word on the street is that these guys have integrated flawlessly. I mean, when you merge all these gangs there must be big time blood lost between them. Videl and I have encountered dozens of gang fights over the course of our crime fighting. But, suddenly, there were no more gang related fights. Yeah, there were petty squabbles between the 'lesser' wannabe gangs, but the big guns didn't have one altercation since the time Videl's copter crashed. It was definitely strange."

"Hmm…Boy, it doesn't make much sense. These gangs can't just be seamlessly incorporated into a bigger unit. They have what we call 'turf', and pride. Usually gangs are classified by ethnicity. How could it be that they are—a bunch of mendacious debauchers—working together? One wouldn't expect them to share."

"You're right Vegeta. What's the main reason here?" Gohan was genuinely befuddled now. Too many things had been discovered in this once small conundrum, which had now evolved into a gigantic puzzle with many pieces and even more loose ends. 

"Unless…" Bulma trailed off, her serene eyes gazing at the ceiling in concentrated contemplation. 

"Unless what woman?" 

"Well, why do the most unlikely people team up?"

Gohan's eyes suddenly brightened, as if a light bulb had been turned on somewhere in his massive brain. Piccolo cocked his head to the side, also deliberating on Bulma's rhetorical question. 

"A common foe."

"Who is their common foe?"

"Um, the government? Police?" 

Bulma glared at him, and then trained her glower at the rest of the group. She didn't like being held down by people who couldn't deduce the obvious. Although Gohan was making remarkable headway, she couldn't believe he didn't get this part yet. She sighed, when it concerns him, Gohan can be amazingly naïve. 

"Crime down 300% after Saiya-man hits the scene, Satan City Globe. Caped hero knocks out crime with own brand of humor, Satan City Tribune. This ring a bell?" Bulma had rattled off those newspaper headlines to illuminate the missing piece, much to the delight of Gohan. 

"Oh yeah, me!"

"And Videl, since she's starting to team up with you now."

"Ok, this is good. They have consolidated because of Saiya-man. So, Videl was kidnapped to lure me?" Piccolo silently praised his former student, for the astonishingly tight control he kept over his emotions. Piccolo knew first hand what can happen if Gohan had let his emotions rebel against his rational side. He was cognizant of the fact that he cared deeply for Videl, even more so than anybody else he has ever cared for, so to maintain this sort of calm in his demeanor is an exemplary feat in of itself.

"Maybe. We'll have to wait for a ransom demand, or them contacting you and arranging a rendezvous point."

"Uh, no one, except a few, knows that I'm Saiya-man, Bulma. How would they contact me?"

Bulma heaved a sigh of frustration. Saiyans could be really thickheaded at the most inconvenient of times. "T.V silly!"

"Uhh, yeah."

Throughout this whole exchange, both Vegeta and Piccolo had remained silent. They were mentally tackling the scenario, trying to look at it with different perspectives to gain the most information from it. 

"I think waiting around for some ransom demand is senile, woman!" Vegeta scowled, finally breaking his spell of reticence. 

"Then what do you propose we do?!" Bulma screamed back at him, a vein comically bulging from a spot on her forehead as she glared at her mate.

"Finally, you suggest something worthwhile. I say the brat, the Namek, and I split up, scour the slums and gang-infested areas of Satan City and conduct some reconnaissance. Get valuable information, since our best bet is that the Mafia is behind the girl's kidnapping."

"Vegeta has made a good point. Also, I suggest that we leave the Android Seventeen question unanswered for now. Eighteen, if you are willing to help, I propose that you head over to Seventeen's place and see what you find there. That should shed some light on that matter." Piccolo stopped short, and looked at Gohan for final affirmation.

"Alright then, let's go!" Gohan raced out of the domed abode, powered up to super saiya-jin, and blasted off towards Satan City. Vegeta grunted, levitating from his spot on the couch and out the door, joining the Namek in the air as they blasted off behind Gohan, white auras emblazoning a luminous path in the black canopy around Earth. 

"Chi-Chi, turn on the T.V and tune into the news channel."

Eighteen and sighed and glanced wearily towards her child, who was currently cuddled up on an isolated sofa with a warm blanket draped over her. "Chi-Chi, look after Marron for me please. I'm going to Seventeen's now and sorting out this mess."

"I'm going with you." Krillen stated from behind, his grim face leaving no room for argument. 

Eighteen smiled, and together they left the small house after saying their final good-byes.

******************************

_Hmm…Some unanticipated variables making themselves known. No matter, that was to be expected. Even I cannot compute the future. Ingenious of me to make this plan so flexible._

He was interrupted from his careful deliberation by the creaking of his gargantuan door, painfully rasping a pleading whine of protest. He looked up, seeing the maidservant halt at its entrance and knock quietly on its metallic surface. He nodded, and once his affirmation was given she quickly entered and gave him some sheets of paper riddled with numbers. 

"How is the girl doing?" He asked, without even giving the slightest hint of acknowledgement to the servile woman. 

"She is constrained in the dungeon cellar. Sir, I…I mean…You…She shouldn't be in there, its very unhygienic down there." The woman stuttered out to her stoic master, trembling violently in fear of his reproach.

"You suddenly have compassion for our _guest_?" He looked up at her in vague amusement, regarding her fully now. He sneered in pleasure at the dread his countenance induced into them. Yes, them. He cannot be classified with them. Those vile, contemptuous sheep blindly subservient. He was the exception. He was the wolf, not the sheep. Let them regard him as they may, that didn't phase him the slightest. Why should he consider their denigration on him? They were nothing. Pawns in his game. Marionettes being manipulated by the puppeteer, making them do as he wills, at his own caprice. This is what his aspiration is, and he will achieve it. He wasn't created to relapse into the monotony of _farming._ Farming? He, the epitome of perfect creation, a farmer? Did they think that he would be content with wasting his life away in some God forsaken field somewhere in the country? Did they believe that the ephemeral joys of family, of camaraderie, and solidarity would suppress him? They have done it too long. They nearly succeeded too, for he was thrown headlong into an eddy of colorful confusion. The colors mixing, changing, mutating and receding into oblivion. Phasing out, graying, darkening. He nearly lost sight of his goal, his purpose, and now nothing can sway him anymore. He was going to claim his rightful place and climb upon his perch, ruling these pathetic inferior humans with an iron hand of total supremacy. They will do his bidding, or taste his wrath. He was NOT a face in the background, enjoying a fleeting moment in the spotlight only to be superseded by another, and another, and another…

"It's…not…th…that, master."

"Then stop this babbling you subordinate ingrate, and be gone." She squeaked with fear and quickly swooped her head down in genuflect, then scrambled away into the sanctuary of the hallway. He smirked once more, and then picked up his thick book lying dormant on his table. The cover was briefly illuminated in the musty room, deprived of any real light. "The Prince".* 

* Water acts like a selective filter. If you suspend a white light above the surface of water, most of the red and some of the orange is gone at the depth of ten feet. At 25 feet most of the orange is gone, and so on. Try it sometime, if you go SCUBA diving or something. I don't mean stab yourself silly 60 feet deep in water, because you won't see the blood and you won't think you're bleeding. Or at least, you'd think you've mutated into some horrible sea monster since the blood would appear greenish black. ;x

* Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince". A book where the theory and practice of power politics are elaborated from. It envisages; 1) seizure, maintenance and extension of absolute power by the nicely graduated use of guile, fraud, force, and terror; 2) control by the ruler of all avenues of communication, thus facilitating the deliberate molding of public opinion; 3) the employment for surveillance and fanatical activities of subordinates who can be disowned and liquidated by the ruler, who thus escapes the blame for their atrocities. 

(A/N-The explanation of Machiavelli's doctrines were necessary for the readers to gauge Seventeen's motivation. Needless to say, I'm keeping this conundrum relatively ambiguous so the readers can form their own opinions. The use of clues and facts are from the 'mystery' genre, but since this fic isn't all about mystery I'm not changing its designation. 

The brilliant Daughter of Chaos tackled this mystery genre extremely well in her fiction, "Mala in se" (Any thing she writes though, is a delight to read.), and I do believe that to construct a mystery is one of the hardest things to do in writing. 

Speaking of Creativity, I've come across a story that has a premise I've never seen done before. It's pretty awesome, considering that the actual prose of the story connotes part of the plot. ShaggyDiz's "Parallel and Perpendicular." (He started another story, and it was commendable, although I believe it's put on a temporary hiatus.) 

I end this chapter with an 'Ode to the Youth" of fanfiction.net.

Goku's Daughter- Although, upon initial analysis of her writing in her reviews, she doesn't seem very proficient in language manipulation. Those doubts are quelled however, when you actually read her fictional pieces. She displays phenomenal talent and uses a wide variety of devices in her literature. Her writing is good enough, but when you factor in a little something, namely her being in Grade Nine, I'd say it makes it something distinguished.

Fender08- "Where Do We Go From Here?" I've been following his writing for some time now. Here's the clincher. Seventh Grade. I'm aware that my key reader demographic for 'Tomber Amoureux' is predominantly in the upper echelon of articulation (;x), and when I mention an author who isn't even in high school, you'd probably discard the notion of reading his works as inane. Simply put; people this young don't have the necessary skills to actively captivate the more 'mature' audience (That and all the grammar/spelling errors). Well, this dude is the exception to the rule. Absolutely stunning for someone so young to write something so good, so stunning in fact, that I sat there for a while thinking if he's really serious. Haven't seen such a feat accomplished since the then-fifteen year old Sageseeker777 penned "Tamashii No Unmei".

I guess if the younger generation follows up with authors like these, then the vanguards of creativity haven't gone all mundane on us yet. 

"Familiarity breeds contempt - and children."

**-Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Notebooks (1935)**


	15. Initiation

Initiation

"A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective."

**-Sun-tzu (~400 BC), The Art of War. Strategic Assessments**

_God, these stupid things are really starting to itch! If I could just scratch it…ahhh…no, just a little bit further, a little bit…Come on Videl! _

Providing a running commentary on her little quandary, Videl Satan's psyche did nothing but aggravate her already irked state of mind. She needed to strain the metallic set of links to their maximum to get her fingers in scratching range of her wrist. Obviously she couldn't scratch her wrist with the fingers of the same hand, she wasn't a freak or anything. The rusting iron that was painfully clamped on both her wrists effectively restricted the movement of her arms. 

_If that itch doesn't go away I'm going to scream!_

To the casual observer—hypothetically of course, Videl was sure no one even knew she was incarcerated in this crude rendition of a medieval dungeon, let alone have someone observe her—the frustration of the young woman seemed awkwardly incongruous given the present scenario she had found herself in. Fretting over an insignificant itch when she was bound and shackled at the wrists and ankles, confined in a musty cellar filled with decaying fragments of what once were people, and surrounded by hostile men that weren't fazed by morality was peculiarly eccentric indeed. 

Sure she was Videl Satan, a femme fatale who had proven herself more than capable of ensuring her own security. But whether she liked to acknowledge it or not, she was a woman, and she retained every weakness that was associated with the 'fairer sex'. Most notably, her appearance; her body, her beauty. How could she protect herself now when she was virtually rendered immobile by these metallic constraints? Being a woman, in a place where ethics are seldom known and morality seldom adhered to, she was in a danger that perhaps supersedes death. Violation. She could be violated, and that was her shortcoming. She hated it. Hated it with every ounce of her being that regardless of how much she progressed in the martial arts, and despite her prowess in combat, she would always be handicapped. A handicap endured solely because of birth? It was a selective handicap. But it was there, and in certain scenarios the possibility of that grew. 

What would Gohan think of her then? A philandering whore who had forsaken the concept of modesty? The feasibility of that was very slim, she noted with an unusual mix of fear and relief. Gohan was an understanding man with a forgiving heart. And he loved her too, and wouldn't abandon her then. But it would always be between them, this stigma that would pervade her essence. She never was the type. She wasn't a slut that 'slept around' so to speak, regarding the act of making love a novelty when two people meet, and have a bed around somewhere. She was pure, and she did it because of her. Not because she was the daughter of the champ, and certainly not because of the fear of perception from her contemporaries. She did it because she respected herself, and respected her body, and respected the concept of love. 

When she met Gohan, and subsequently fell head over heels for him, she then suddenly knew the magnitude of that initial sacrifice. An epiphany of sorts. She realized that she had stayed pure so, in the future, she would be able to share something special with her beloved. Her sanctity would only be offered to him and when he would accept her gesture, a bond of exclusivity would be formed between the two. A gesture that contained the zenith of her love and affection for that one man she would devote herself to. She wanted Gohan to have it. She had persevered through years of teenage temptation and endured countless whispers of the devil, but she was resilient and triumphed. Now, from circumstances out of her control, her sacrifice could be rendered worthless by one action. 

Helplessness. She hated it. And so she despised that one weakness of her too, with a passion. 

_F—king itch!_

************************************************

"Care to spare some change for a man down on his luck?" The voice was slurred, removing all traces of whatever accent he had once retained. The clean-shaven young fellow gave him a contemptuous look, and then shaking his head in disgust at the grimy outstretched hand he rapidly crossed the street. The destitute male watched him regretfully for a while, then retracted his arm back into the sanctuary of his card board and newspaper. He rubbed his palms together and huddled closer to the pages of the 'Satan City Globe', trying to gather whatever miniscule amount of heat it offered. 

November was chilly as always, and he took another swig from something wrapped inside a brown paper bag. His worn and haggard frame eagerly anticipated the influx of liquid that should have been making its way down his esophagus. The man furrowed his brows in confusion though, and removed his chapped lips from the mouth of the bottle. He peered into it, and much to his chagrin, the bottle was empty. If he wasn't so thoroughly inebriated he may have been able to discern that fact from the lighter weight of the bottle. 

Suddenly he heard a sound that was suspiciously familiar. Turning around from the park bench that served as his mattress, he saw them again. The two burly thugs, one towering above six foot and easily two hundred-fifty pounds, and the other was of average height and sported a stocky yet powerful frame. The sound was the vain protest of a couple of scantily clad women, unfazed by the November wind that chilled the bone. 

The men appeared to be dragging them towards the relative privacy of the dark alleyway adjacent to the strip club they had emerged from. The women knew their protests were futile. They didn't want things to get more physical than they were going to get so their shoulders sagged and they entered the shadows of the alley followed closely by both men. 

"Look Misty, there ain' no point in arguin'. I'm a feelin' a little excited an' that can't be no good when the boss comes, ain' that right?"

"I know, I know, but can't you just 'pop a boner' today and leave it at that? I had a very hectic day and just want to get it over with."

"Don't worry babe, this'll only take a minute." He revealed a row of crooked and yellowish teeth, and starting unzipping his trousers. His larger compatriot already had the other woman pinned down against the wall. Her concupiscence startled him considerably—disregarding the fact that she was a stripper—because she and her partner were protesting rather vociferously a moment ago inside the club. He cursed his luck with rather vulgar expletives at getting the more reluctant of the two. 

"Come on," he urged with some contempt as he grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall. She struggled ferociously against the vile thug until she felt him clamp her wrists and compress her against the brick building. She cried out in pain but the carelessly discarded trash and stench-infested dumpsters gave her no sympathy. She felt her lower garments being torn and braced herself for the impending thrust, but before the matter escalated to that effect she heard a growl emitted from her right. Both the goons and the strippers swiveled their head in the direction of the strange feral sound. 

"Who the f—k are you boy?" The stocky mobster asked the figure. From what little visibility the night and alley combination offered, the goons could perceive a silhouette of a relatively short man. The peculiar thing about him though, aside from the strange noise he had emitted, was that his head area was oddly disproportional to the rest of his frame. Either the man was wearing some kind of pointy cap or headgear, or he sported a wacky hairstyle. It became apparent that the latter speculation was the more accurate of the two when the figure stepped forward and let the pale moonlight illuminate his sharp features. 

"Who the F—K are you calling BOY, you sorry excuse for a man. Can't even court women properly, pathetic ingrate!" Both thugs stared at the irate short man with some astonishment and a bit of resentment. Was this guy signing his death wish?

"Yo, what's that 'bout women, boy? I've had me more p—sy than you can count!" Both men laughed derisively as if the punch line was some grandiose insult that had surely shattered the other man's self-confidence. 

The strange pointy-haired fellow smirked evilly as he regarded both these imbeciles. "That's funny. I know you spent nine months trying to get out of a vagina, but now it has become apparent you've spent the rest of it trying to get back in. So far, no such luck. I'm glad to see that you haven't let your education get in the way of your ignorance."

Both of their complacent smirks were replaced rather quickly by irritated scowls. It was apparent that a bout of wits would leave them severely handicapped, so they decided that the more belligerent route would be most advantageous. "Wha…are you insane? You wan' us to pound yer ass down to the ground, boy?"

A vein comically bulged from the irate semi-midget as he advanced on both gangsters threateningly. "If you make such a derogatory insinuation at me again 'BOY', your voice will be permanently muffled by your ass."

They responded by two nearly identical stares as their rather limited intellect tried to decipher the man's convictions. Was this an egotistical display of bravado intended to cajole _their _women? Or did this incensed, diminutive man have any substance backing his boisterous showboating? Well, it was now or never, the shorter thug mused. The way he saw it, he had no choice but to escalate this little verbal feud into something more physically confrontational. Why? Because it was a matter of his honor—however perverse his perception of honor may be. He could not let some relative newcomer—he was sure he had never noticed him in any of the drug trafficking rings, the strip joints, and he was positive this guy wasn't in the new crime syndicate taking the city by storm—best him and the respect his countenance _demanded_ in this neighborhood. Wasn't he the one assigned to administrate the strip-club and gang-related criminal activities that entrenched this shanty downtown district by the leaders of the New Mafia Crime Syndicate? Decrepit and infested with dilapidated buildings this locality may be, but it was still his responsibility and with the boss coming over to scrutinize his daily affairs he could not afford any mistakes. 

Mistakes in the Mafia meant certain death, and if you were of the lucky select few, you'd possibly get a speedy and painless death. The 'higher-ups' though, rarely displayed such clemency. It was an action borne more of necessity than it was out of malice. Not that the individuals associated with the Mafia were shining examples of benignity. They were rancorous ruffians with an innate penchant for violence. They were evil, brutal men and if given the power and criminal jurisdiction would morph into corrupt despots receding more and more into the bowels of ignominy. But if the leaders of the Mafia displayed even slight traces of compassion when dealing with ineptness, wanted or not, it would encourage more potentially disastrous mistakes. In the world of crime, a mistake could lead to the eventual incarceration of the individual in question, and his subsequent interrogation. That could cost the Organization dearly. Malicious as they were, keeping their operations clandestine took precedence. They were instructed to protect sensitive intra-gang information at all costs, including the proceedings of their intramural activities. Their strip-clubs, their crack houses, drug labs and refineries, casinos, and of course, their headquarters. 

Vegeta mentally surveyed the larger of the two 'morons' as he had so effectively dubbed them. He was clad in a plain black shirt with some sort of peculiar symbol emblazoned in gold in its center. A tough but worn leather jacket, ornamented with metallic zippers that had lost its silvery sheen, covered most of the shirt and added a bit more bulk to the man's massive build. Faded dark jeans and a pair of combat boots that looked like they've witnessed a couple of wars in their lifetime completed the ensemble. He was obviously a subordinate of the other thug, who was dressed a little bit more presentably than him, resplendent in a white under-shirt covered by a baggy blue sleeveless vest, and some brown khaki pants. This 'gentleman' presumably was the one directing things around this ramshackle neighborhood, or at the very least, would be able to lead him to the head honcho. 

Vegeta smirked amusedly at their collective bewilderment, as he nonchalantly waved off the two equally astonished women who had taken a spectator position in this whole affair. They scurried away in haste, fearful that this altercation will eventually escalate into a bloody brawl. Worse comes to worse, there may even be some gunfire to add to the foray, and they had no intention of being caught between a testosterone driven clash of egos. 

Both gangsters advanced upon the solitary figure, identical scowls of aggression set upon their hard faces. Slowly, they circled around the man, as the giant hulking figure strafed to the midget's side, coming around his back and effectively trapping him between himself and his shorter partner. As they circled though, he saw that the wild haired opponent still had that infuriating smirk plastered on his face, and his arms had come across his chest, acting defiantly in the face of danger. Losing any shred of control they had, both men yelled out, cursing and ranting. The bigger man lunged forward, wanting to take apart the freak from behind. His shorter partner had opted to strike the man from the front. As they approached, the larger man set up his knee for a massive impact to the back, hoping to reduce the midget's spinal cord into dust. His face took on a malicious grin, knowing that victory was close. Suddenly, and without warning, the wind picked up, and his grin fell. His knee connected, but it wasn't the stiffness of a backbone. He looked down and cringed, seeing his leader and partner hanging off his knee, his stomach in massive pain and his whole body going into dry heaves, attempting to relieve something from the enormous strike.

"Ah f—k," the big guy muttered, pulling his knee back from his partner's stomach, grabbing him by the shoulders and dropping him lightly on the ground. He turned his head sharply, looking at the wild haired man, who, throughout this entire instance, still had that sickening smirk written on his face.

"You know," he spoke, "I've seen incompetence before. But never have I witnessed it with such enthusiasm, bravo! " It was clear that Vegeta, while amused by the pointlessness of this fight, was somewhat willing to let this big lug continue dancing with him

"You little F—k!" he cried out, sprinting as fast as he could towards the midget. He cocked his hand back and let loose, confident enough that he would hit his target and smash that stupid smirk from his face. Of course, it all depended on the guy still standing there, and such wasn't the case. His momentum caused him to swing towards the ground, impacting it with his fist before going into a rather bruising roll. He ended up on his back, a few scrapes and cuts appearing on his face, neck and knuckles. Still, he quickly spun around, placing himself in a crouched position, looking straight into his opponent's eyes. "I'm goin' ta rip that f—king smirk off yous and shove it up that big a—hole." 

"Well, it appears that you've hit rock bottom long ago, and it's been downhill ever since." Vegeta sneered at him. He held out his arm, and with a wave of his hand, beckoned him forward. "Let's make this concept a little simpler so even you and that empty skull can understand. I stand here. You try to hit me. Simple enough? I can go into a detailed tutorial if you want." He knew he was trying to play the large man into the little game he was amusing himself with. Hopefully he was smart enough to actually figure out that this was a losing battle.

Apparently not, for the big guy actually decided to charge yet again, causing Vegeta to raise an eyebrow languorously. He knew that he had to wrap this up soon and continue looking for some useful information, so the questions would eventually have to come. He watched his opponent wind up for another punch, this time an uppercut instead of a straight jab. He let him swing, and instead of moving around him like he did the previous times, Vegeta decided to just dodge side to side. The uppercut missed, as did the following three jabs, all aimed for the Saiyan's head. To any prospective onlooker, it would look as if Vegeta was actually losing, allowing himself to be hit by such a massive brute, yet having the endurance to take the punishment. That's what the mobster allowed himself to believe, until he realized that he was losing his breath and none of his fists had connected yet.

Deciding to end this, he reached up as high as he could, wanting to strike down on top of the midget's head. He swung down, and hit something. He smirked, until he realized that he didn't strike his intended target's head, but rather, his intended target's hand, which had his own fist inside a death grip. He struggled to pull out, but was surprised to find out that he was going nowhere, and the short man's arm was practically holding him in one spot, unmoving.

"Game over." The two words resonated through him ominously. He began to feel that inkling of uncertainty creep upon his composure, a small but compelling persuasion to abandon everything and flee. Fear. He had felt it before, no doubt. Once initiated into the inner realm of Organized Crime, especially in a large criminal jurisdiction like Satan City, fear would be a commonplace occurrence until experience hardened their souls. He was hardened as any other 'middle-class' gangster, his ten years of service attesting to that fact. He had all but forgotten what fear truly felt like. That sharp tinge in the bowels of his stomach, that cold sweat, that increasingly volatile shaking his hands would succumb to, and most of all, the thoughts. What was he to do?

"Wha…What do yous wan'? Th…Them girls? Take 'em! Take 'em all! Here, I'll get 'em for yous!" The large ruffian tried to ease out of the vice-like grip clamped down on his wrist while he started for the strip club. But, try as he might, his assailant wouldn't budge. 

"You cowardly fool. I don't want to flaunt off with some philandering A.I.D.S infested whore and earn myself an extra large dosage of STDs." Vegeta sighed heavily at the blank, but still trembling, demeanor of the massive oaf. 

"I need some information," and before Vegeta continued on, he witnessed the goon take in a sharp intake of breath. Not one triggered by surprise. No. This was one of reluctance. His facial features accentuated that supposition nicely. Akin to when one is placed between 'a rock and a hard place.' Vegeta leered at him dangerously, tightening his hold on the massive wrist fractionally, which in turn nearly caused the poor thug's wrist to crumple like discarded paper.

"If not, then I have no use for you. Do you know what I do with people that aren't of any use to me?" Vegeta kept his impassive glare on the gangster, boring various holes into his already fragile psyche.

"N…No."

"Do you want to know?" The sarcasm and the concealed threat that went with that statement was not lost on the giant, regardless of his limited intelligence.

"N…N…No." He seemed to have a little bit more trouble enunciating that simple word properly.

"Very good, you're learning. Now, a lady…" deciding to abandon his initial plan of subtle extortion, Vegeta went for the more brusque approach. "Videl Satan, daughter of Hercule Satan and probably the woman you mobsters hate the most was kidnapped recently. You happen to know anything about that?" Vegeta gave the incarcerated wrist another persuading squeeze, prompting the larger man to whimper back a semi-coherent response.

"No…Nothi…Nothing. I didn' knows thats she was gone." He looked back at the short man fearfully. 

"You're not happening to lie to me, are you? One thing I hate more than cocky, full-of-shit a—holes like you, are liars. I absolutely despise liars." 

"You…You hafta believe me! I know nothin'! If…If it was in this region, yeah, I'd know…But, but, something like that ain' goin' to be known to somebodys like me."

Before Vegeta could interrogate the felon further, a soft groan filled the musty air of the alleyway. The other unfortunate thug, the leader, was regaining his consciousness. How convenient, at least for an aggravated Saiya-jin Prince.

He gave one more condescending scowl at the massive brute, and then flung him with astounding ease at the stench-infested metal dumpster ornamenting the derelict alleyway. The hulking frame of the gangster collided with the metal with a resounding 'bong', as he slid down the side his physique upside-down. City officials probably had minimal jurisdiction in this place, and had more potent things to worry about like drug trafficking and prostitution than renovation of habitually neglected alleyways.

Vegeta stalked over to the staggering leader, who still hadn't discerned what exactly had happened and why he resumed consciousness lying face-first into a pile of what looked like dog excrement in a filthy alleyway. He didn't have much time to ponder over his predicament though, as a sturdy grip clamped on to his collar and elevated his body four feet into the air with surprising strength. He felt his back press against the brick sidewall of _his_ strip club, and had to peer considerably down to identify whom this aggressor was. Immediately the frowning, malicious face he saw evoked his memory into a frenzy of activity. He remembered all, and he remembered with a scowl that he had been smashed in the gut by that f—k of a fat ass. Dried remnants of his blood caked along the side of his lips and mouth, and some had dried while dribbling down his chin. That knee had caused a whole lot of fluid to be regurgitated back up from his torso. 

"What the…" His anticipated attitude was cut brusquely off by the irate Saiya-jin. The toying with the bigger and much more stupid of the two was an unexpected treat, but now everything was becoming monotone and his patience had ran out. 

"Shut the f—k up and listen to me carefully," Vegeta pushed the stocky man harder against the wall and small squeaks could be heard, probably the man's bones as they were compressed by enormous amounts of pressure. 

His eyes bulged and he clawed desperately at the hand that gripped his collar, gasping for air and silently pleading for this torture to come to an end. Either way. Even death was better than this slow and excruciating show of brute force. 

Vegeta eased up on the man, but still maintained that gruff voice and demeanor to take advantage of the situation. The goon was spooked. This was the best time for fear to obscure his better judgment and have him squeal some sensitive information in exchange for his life. 

"Videl Satan," the man flinched when he heard the name, and never being one to lighten up on his perception skills Vegeta immediately acknowledged that. "Yes, I'm sure you know her. She's a pretty famous lady around filth like you. She was kidnapped. I want to know where she is. You will tell me. You will tell me or you will have to hear your bones be crushed under tremendous, but very slowly administered, pressure until your bones resemble clam chowder." The grave look Vegeta directed at the man made it obvious that he was dead serious, and that graphic description of his torture method left no room for the imagination. 

The mobster had discarded any remnants of pride and machismo his disposition had retained earlier. He knew that to allow such irrelevant things to dictate his behavior now was a matter of certain life or death. The irate midget with the funky haircut was not in a mood to be humored any longer. Anyone could observe that with minimal sensory exertion. What added mountains of effect to the man's threat was his far superior strength, which could easily snap his neck like dry twigs. That wasn't very comforting for an innately pusillanimous thug who cared for nothing but his own. The future can be changed. That hope was still there. He would deal with the Mafia bosses later. He was now rendered at the complete mercy of one man that had shown callous sentiment for his own life and also highlighted his dexterity in inflicting pain. That was too much.

"She…she was kidnapped. At the orders of the new boss. I…I dunno the boss…Not many do. I…I don't know why she was taken. Her…Her death…She was to be killed! Her death was ordered earlier on. Word was that she was shot but survived. I dunno why…Why the order for her death was cancelled…No more word on her. Suddenly she was to be left alone…I don't understand it."

"She was taken by orders of the Mafia you say?" Vegeta hadn't let his malicious demeanor waver in the slightest, and he still kept his iron fist clamped on to the thug's collar. 

"Yee…Yeah…She must be at HQ…I…She must be…High profile people are…you know…there."

"Where is this headquarters, if you care to divulge such information of course." Vegeta intensified the pressure on the man marginally and the effects were already showing as the goon clamped his eyes shut in pain. It was obvious that Vegeta had no intention in giving the gangster any choice in his course of action.

"The new HQ is…is kept very secret. I…They didn't tell me where it is…It was under wraps, not even some front men know where it is…"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed dangerously, as he prepared himself for employing more persuasive tactics. Disregarding the pleading protests of the gangster Vegeta began to slowly intensify the pressure applied to the thug's collarbone. 

"Al…Alright…Ahh…I'll tel—"

So immersed was he in this delicate procedure of physical extortion that only his subconscious registered the subtle air vibrations suddenly evident around him. Before his heightened senses could properly detect the cause of the strange anomaly his detainee's skull suddenly exploded in a messy combination of red fluid and white semi-solid bone matter. Vegeta scowled inwardly in irritation and leaped back into a lanky martial arts pose. He knew what had happened, it was easily discernable. Such things weren't uncommon in the unscrupulous world of the Mafia. This tactic was used extensively by Frieza and Cold back in the Universal Imperialism days he was trapped in before. Obviously he was used to other mediums of projectiles rather then bullets. And, much as he had changed for the better, he still had to acknowledge that this policy of 'intelligence containment' was an exceptionally practical tool for the mendacious bosses of the Mafia. Eliminate the threat, regardless of their allegiance. He watched in morbid fascination as the bloody remnants of the lead thug slid gracelessly down the soot and graffiti decorated brick wall, leaving a smear of arterial red in its wake. How long had it been since he witnessed such a macabre scenario unfold before him? Too long? 

He hadn't bothered with pursuing the perpetrators of this assassination; he knew it was a futile cause. This meant that the Mafia had already come to know that they were undertaking this reconnaissance mission. How, was the baffling question at hand. Satisfied with the small, yet valuable, piece of information he was able to gather he filled the halcyon night with a fiery red aura and departed for his intended destination.

***************************

"This is truly intriguing! They know. That ups the ante considerably. But, I know too. I know more. Well, 'Mr. _Saiya-man'_," the drawl that accentuated that name was unmistakable, "We'll see who can best who in our little game of chess. I will triumph. That is inevitable. You know why? Because good is always fallible. Always!"

The glee in which he conducted himself at the moment was so nonconforming to his somewhat monotone personality that it bordered on schizophrenia. Who was this person prancing about the musty cellar in uncontrolled excitement? Certainly not the android. It couldn't be.

He turned two enthused eyes at her, not even attempting to veil his consuming emotions. "Good. Good is so boring, don't you agree? You would know. But you still refuse to acknowledge it, foolish girl. You go day in and day out and slave away for the benefit of these pathetic lowlifes. What do you receive in the end? Nothing! And you still do it. How stupid can Good be? I will win. It's simple. I will win because your beloved has so many weaknesses it's almost insulting to my exquisite intellect to exploit them. Almost." With that word his flippant countenance morphed unexpectedly into a somber and serious expression. 

"You cannot suppress me. You cannot pretend that everything is okay." He wasn't looking at her anymore. His gaze traveled behind her to some random spot on the rank and decayed walls of this dungeon he kept her in. Whom the 'you' he was referring to was, she had not the slightest hint. But it was an educated guess that it concerned the Z fighters, or someone they knew. 

"You think that after that calamity, that everything could return to normal? Your normal is not my normal!" Videl jolted violently in fear as he screamed with feral intensity at that ambiguous spot on the wall. "What is my normal? I have no purpose! I was created for a reason. I lost that reason. Son Goku is dead! What do I do now? Farm?! No." He diverted his attention back to resilient, but shaken, depths of her blue eyes. She feigned heroism but with his staid and calculating stare he knew the untold cries of the heart. "There are no heroes. There are no murderers. Only killers, and victims." 

His lips slowly tugged upwards into a small smile. She was the key, and he had it. "You, my pretty, are my trump card. You will defeat them for me. How ironic, that his heart is set on saving you only to be dashed by you too. The benefits of the double-edged sword, wouldn't you say?"

"You can't beat him so easily. He'll come, and then you'll be sorry you ever imagined this whole thing, you sorry excuse for a creation." She clenched her eyes shut in anticipation of any physical retaliation. But the backhand never came. Instead, her eyes opened up to perhaps a more unsettling scene. The android was grinning, literally from ear to ear. 

"Your helpless groping for hope is very amusing. Just that may make all this careful planning and patience worthwhile. I was never one to set my goals low though."

"Helpless? It's you who should be worried, you monster. You tried to kill me, you kidnapped me, and now God help you when Gohan finds your pitiful carcass."

"I know very well the intricacy of Gohan's emotions. I've observed their effects and have taken it into account. It's simple really. Why engage him in a fight, when I can exploit his other weaknesses too? I'm pulling the strings here, fool. I'm not going to throw away my advantage gained from years of planning and effort just on some falsified pretense of honor and chivalry. Opportunism is the key of my advent into this position of power. I have planned, I have read, and I have planned some more. No matter how many fighters I am against, they cannot decipher my intentions fast enough to stop me. And you, my disillusioned teenager, will witness the despair of your beloved until the guilt consumes you. Human emotions are so petty, yet so compelling. I never understood it."

"That's because you have no emotions, you fiend. No matter how much you try, you'll never be anybody but a failure of a mad scientist. Discarded remnants of a failed experiment."

It was clearly evident that Seventeen was forcibly containing his bubbling anger. It would put a major damper on his plans if he allowed an inconsequential being like her to get the best of him. "You cannot sway me from my goal, ingrate. There's nothing you can do to stop this, but sit idly by and witness the demise of everyone you love. Especially 'Saiya-Man'."

She smiled weakly, throwing a look of pity at the hawkish Android. "Like it or not, Gero's success was Cell. That leaves you as a failure. The dregs of his inventions. Why do you think you had to be absorbed to complete Cell? You were just a pawn, a simple component for something much bigger than you can ever be." She had utilized the detailed information Gohan had told her about the Cell debacle a little while ago. She needed to distract this beast enough to keep Gohan out of harm's way. More than her desire to be rescued was her need to keep him secure. Even if it was at her expense. But she knew he would not heed her pleas for him to stay away from this madman even if he could hear her, he was way too protective of her to ever consider the thought. 

"You stupid bitch! I will incinerate your pitiful existence with a wave of my hand!" Before he could make good on his threat something beeped loudly, sharply contrasting the eerie silence laced with Seventeen's ranting voice. Seventeen stopped his arm from descending heavily upon the raven-haired vixen and covered his ear with the errant hand.

"What?" He said irritably. 

"Boss, they've all left to go back."

"Good. Await further instructions."

He smiled wickedly at Videl before walking towards the entrance to her musty cellar, halting right at its threshold and peering back at her. 

"Be a good girl and stay put, I've important things to attend to. I'm going to pay my sister a surprise visit. What can I say, I love family." He spoke briskly into the makeshift telecommunications set wired onto his body.

"Commence the blitzkrieg."

(A/N- A little delayed, but that was because of circumstances out of my control of which I don't wish to divulge. I'm sorry for not responding to those of you who asked earlier, but 'Tomber Amoureux' is French for 'Fall in Love', that's about all the French I know so don't get technical with it. ;x. Anyway, that first 'major' fight scene in this story was penned and choreographed by none other than my buddy Fred (ShaggyDiz), who is absolutely phenomenal when it comes to portraying the necessary elements with regard to fight scenes. 'Ash the Wanderer' is widely reputed of being one the best in penning fight scenarios on this site, and I honestly believe ShaggyDiz is right up there with him (Check out the fight scenes in his story, "The Warm and Fuzzy Feeling From the Back of a SYN" to verify my praise.) 

Well, it felt damn good that after a long spell of reticence someone actually critically analyzed this story and included some pointers (I used to get them at the inception of this story, but once I started heeding the advice, gradually it withered away). Don't get me wrong, I'm tremendously gracious for everyone who has written some nice words regarding my story, it really helps as far as motivation is concerned. And speaking of which, I know of two authors who display amazing potential in their own right and have a very unfair amount of support to back them.

Squrrel Assassin- An author that has progressed so marvelously from an average author to something to be revered as is displayed in his newest fiction, "The Man in the White Suit". Very cool, and it is easily discernable by the quality of the piece that he has put some very good thought into the plot and has included some intricate developments too.

Halm Vendrella- I just noticed his story, 'The Heart of Souls', and it is an awesome attempt to genuinely write a story containing G/V. The care in which he develops the plot and the superb narration provide for an interesting read. Awesome Literature, but sadly, he has got minimal attention to his ongoing piece, which is very disproportional to the quality that it possesses. 

Please people, it is a travesty for writers with such great potential to be discouraged by the lack of reader response. The best of which is to offer them helpful pointers, but it is of no lesser magnitude to write a pleasant review outlining the parts you liked (I strongly suggest people write a review taking care of their spelling/grammar. You don't need to be perfect, but some attention to the sentence structure goes a long way in terms of perception).

Penchy-chan- An author who doesn't have a disproportional amount of reviews (She deserves every single one she gets, though), but whose style and narration is exemplary and has indebted the readers of this site by the awesome stories she has written. 'Oujisama' is widely acclaimed by readers, but anything she writes is of extraordinarily high quality. 

Sage- Best way to describe her is an iconoclast graced with outstanding literary ability. The way she writes, and the way she actively deconstructs characters is absolutely beautiful. But, be forewarned, you may need a tissue handy in several of her stories, including the completed gem, 'Dark Shift'. Happy endings are endearing to most readers, I know, but to errantly pass off a chance to read any of her works solely because you thrive on sanguine 'fluff' is inane. 

I extol their effort and dedication along with the other authors I have mentioned previously, in this chapter and the last few chapters, because it is of my humble opinion that these people make it worthwhile to read fanfiction. Of course there are more, and I'll attempt to highlight ones that I have come across as I progress. I apologize for missing anyone though, sincerely. 

"Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months."

**-Oscar Wilde**


	16. Into the Stygian Abyss

Into the Stygian Abyss

"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,   
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,   
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's   
In deepest consequence."

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "Macbeth" 

"Check and mate, my overweight friend," crowed the legendary martial arts master. His befuddled counterpart peered consciously at the checkered board littered with various chess pieces, trying in vain to acknowledge how the defeat actually happened. His rotund face screwed up in irritation as he swiped petulantly at the tangled mass of wild hair framed atop his head. 

"You cheated you old geezer! There's no way your rook was there man, there's no way!"

"Don't fight the foe, Samurai, embrace him. If only you would know that it's better for you, if you wish to learn the ways." The cryptic message, obviously aimed to calm the agitated fellow, not only confused him, it also slightly irked him, as per usual. 

"Why do you always have to talk like that man? There ain't anyone around to be wowed at your 'status'. Revered you may be dude, but we're the only ones here! And I KNOW that you lick yourself when you think nobody's lookin'!" He finished off that implicit remark with a smug smile on his previously frowning face. Trying to snub the old master once in a while was fast growing to be his favorite pastime. When one is confined to a relatively small space for prolonged periods of time, with no one as company but a famed old cat and the vast expanse of blue/black, one gets to have an affinity for things that would just not be accepted as viable 'pastimes' in the common populace. But then again, he wasn't anywhere near the common populace, and hadn't been for quite some time. 

"I do not! It is an affront to my dignity that you would accuse me of such a vile and embarrassing thing."

"Yeah, whatever man."

"Another?"

"Naw, let's have a game of checkers."

"We played checkers all day yesterday!"

"It's a fun game!"

"Only because you revel in your winnings."

"You just don't wanna play 'cuz ya know I'd beat ya."

"Don't disillusion yourself, fat-man."

"Dude, you know that I was the YMCA checkers champ back in the day!" The peculiar cat slumped his head in an open claw, shaking his head slowly while he elicited a small groan. 

"The YMCA checkers champ is to checkers as a McDonald's Certified Chef is to fine cuisine."

"Hey! Don't be jealous."

"Right, I'm only a legendary martial arts master, nothing to be proud of there. Wouldn't I like to be checkers prodigy? No wait, even better, a 'Y M C A' checkers champion, that must have been my sole aspiration since I was a small kitten rolling around in my kitty litter."

The corpulent fighter threw up his hands in defeat, giving the cunning feline an angry glare as he went over to the refrigerator to fix himself a late snack. While he was rummaging through the contents of said refrigerator, throwing various food items out onto the makeshift-eating table that both boarders had constructed, the wily cat watched with a strange mix between disgust and amusement at the ever-growing pile of meats and vegetables.

"If you want to attain true spiritual enlightenment and the most superlative martial arts physique, you must pay meticulous attention to your diet, my friend."

"Hey, this is the usual size of my late snack." He gestured distractedly at the enormous bread slices that were being heaped with copious embellishments, while he worked furiously with the remainder of his 'fillings'. He was comically using his long Samurai sword to slice up some cheese. Already a conspicuous trickle of saliva had found its way down his chin.

"That is the usual size of your snack, I agree. But it does nothing to help you to reduce _your _size."

"I'm not fat, man. I'm very much fit and athletically compatible, if only a _slight _bit stocky and wide built. Ya know that I adhere to a vigorous training schedule dude, so scurry off my back will ya?"

"I am thoroughly cognizant of the fact that the refrigerator door gets a good deal more exercise than you, chubby."

"Not chubby, thick-boned!"

"How can one be so blind? Have you noticed the growing proclivity of obese humans to attempt to jog around _you_ for exercise?"

"I am a fighter. My mother always said that people like ya are going ta be bothering me with these useless comments. Dude, I got nothing but pity for people like ya who don't know 'well-muscled' when they see them. Larger people are the rave nowadays, or so I hear! Chicks check us out every time. They want men with substance. Tell ya the truth man, if ya stocked up a little on flesh you'll be in on the action as well! Join the fad dude, I won't label ya a 'bandwagon-hopper' if ya do."

The cherub fighter received a blank gaze from his long-time friend and master, whose features had contorted into a pitiful look as his claw tightened marginally on his wooden stick. "Samurai, I wouldn't touch your issues with a forty-foot pole."

The frivolous argument between the two came to a halt when the ancient cat, wooden stick still grasped firmly in one claw, reeled back in astonishment. His eyes opened wide, but before he could emit even a single word of warning, the entire dwelling of the once famous martial arts master, who was accredited to teaching arguably the best fighter in the Universe—Son Goku—the ropes at an early age, exploded in a brilliant flash of light and a deafening boom. Thick black smoke billowed out from the ruined niche underneath the 'Lookout Tower', and an ominous visage of a cloaked figure stood before it lazily, a palm outstretched. 

***********************************

"Holy…What the hell?!" The Guardian of the Earth hurriedly threw on his cloak and scurried noisily out, grabbing his wooden cane—the only reminder of the deceased/incorporated Guardian of before—in the process. He exited the palace-like building the Guardian was entitled to reside in and strutted out on to the relatively large courtyard, his astonished gaze settling on the dark figure running in panic towards him. The figure's turban had been slightly dislodged off his head, resting at a peculiar angle and partially hindering one big, round eye. 

Mr. Popo, who was usually a bastion of patience and of even better reason, was at a loss for words when he halted in front of the small Guardian. Dende wisely let him catch his bearings, and only when his labored breathing had evened out did the Namek inquire about the present circumstances.

"Mr. Popo?" Dende had known from a reasonable amount of experience of being Guardian, including the horrific Cell catastrophe seven years ago, that events perceived to have the potential of jeopardizing Earth and its inhabitants had to be dealt with in the quickest and most efficient manner. This need for efficacy was prompted all those years ago when Cell had unexpectedly appeared and achieved his perfect state with relative ease. From then on he had vowed to be more prompt in his, and the Z-fighter's, response to such threats. 

"There seems to be a fire underneath us! Oh Dende, there's too much smoke coming out. I can't see a thing. Oh no!" The man was considerably disconcerted, straying from his usual demeanor, and was flailing his dark arms about frantically to emphasize his point.

"What was that explosion? Any ideas?" Dende decided to take the initiative and remain as calm as possible, seeing that becoming unnecessarily agitated would create even more problems.

"Oh my! I was just watering the plants and I heard this deafening boom! It was unreal, and the whole Lookout literally trembled! This is not good."

"Calm down, Mr. Popo. I see someone coming in the horizon, it seems to be Piccolo." He had discerned the identity by the white cape billowing about behind the distant figure, courtesy his enhanced eyesight.

Piccolo, his identity now clearly evident, flew straight towards the other two residents of the Lookout Tower. He came to a sudden halt right in front of the duo, his aura blazing spectacularly around him in a prominent display of power and speed. Both Dende and Popo acknowledged him by throwing identical looks of curiosity mixed with anxiety, a little relief was also evident in the pair at the sight of the powerful Namek-jin. Piccolo wasted no time in formalities, quickly giving them a curt nod and immediately asking the question both knew was coming.

"What happened here?"

"An explosion. No idea what or more importantly, who, caused it. Happened a couple of minutes ago." Dende was unusually quick to reply, not giving Mr. Popo a chance to continue his apprehensive babbling that would waste even more time. 

Piccolo instructed the two to stay put while he scouted the explosion site for any clues, and more pressingly, survivors. He was aware that the thick black smoke was coming from the very niche that Master Korin and his disciple, Yajirobe, had resided in for more than ten years. Paying no heed to the scorching flames that had ignited during the blast, Piccolo kicked away fallen debris and giant concrete slabs in an effort to find any traces of the two fighters. Even though he had maintained minimal contact with both, their relations had always been cordial and Master Korin had been a good friend of Kami back in the days of old. 

Clearing away more wreckage and what appeared to be charred remnants of a sandwich, he had found what he was searching for. There lay the lifeless carcass of the famed martial arts master, his severely burned limb still clutching on to scorched remains of a cane. Half his body had been crushed under a particularly large portion of the roof caving in, and the other half was burned so badly that only minute traces of his white fur were visible on his ashen torso. Piccolo silently paid his respects to the departed cat, and continued on through the raging inferno towards the back of the dwelling. Quickly his sharp eyes made out a dark spot against the far wall, and after focusing on the peculiar thing his eyes twitched ever so slightly. There was Yajirobe's frame, slumped awkwardly against the wall with his lifeless eyes staring straight back at the Namek-jin. 

Those empty orbs were frozen in horror, the head propped gracelessly on his left shoulder at an angle. A large sword, most probably his own, impaled the portly fighter right through the torso. The sword was imbedded so deep in his stomach that only the handle was visible, and with the wall supporting his back Piccolo could only assume that the sword had sheared the wall as well. There weren't many burns evident on the Samurai's limbs, but Piccolo surmised that the shockwave had hurled Yajirobe back against the far end of the wall and that his sword had impaled him in the process. 

With a brilliant spike of his aura, Piccolo shot out his hand in a rendition of an open-palm punch. The resulting gust of wind created by this action quickly doused most of the violent flames scattered throughout the razed dwelling, and he left as quickly as he had entered, leaving the small, inconsequential flames to flicker out on their own. After quickly explaining the situation to Dende and instructing him to keep an ardent watch over Earth, he blasted off towards the domed dwelling in the 439 mountain area to rendezvous with the other two fighters.

_Yajirobe had his sword out of its sheath? Could mean only two things. Either he had seen the adversary coming and had it drawn, or they had engaged in combat. Couldn't be the latter, I would have felt the ki. Didn't feel anything, except for the magnitude of the blast. It has to be Seventeen. No ki means Android for sure._

**********************************

"That stupid emotional brat! If he's gone on one of his goddamn 'vigilante' modes again because of that stupid girl, he'll have hell to pay when he gets back! F—king half-wit, he's wasting my valuable time with his petty emotions!" The small but menacing figure was ranting at nobody in particular, but he made sure that his exasperation was fully incorporated in his chiding tone. 

"Vegeta! Mind your goddamn language!"

"At a time like this all you can do is bicker?!" 

"Shut the hell up both you insolent harps!"

"Was that a threat?!" 

"It better not be, if you know what's good for you!"

"Gohan's here." The gruff and deep voice created a distinct disparity between the vociferous squabbling the three people were engaged in hitherto. With all three people's vocal chords competing to outmatch each other in pitch and intensity, that relatively subdued statement suddenly demanded an eerie silence, layered with anxiety and relief. 

And sure enough, the pale glow of the pre-dawn night sky vaguely illuminated a worn and haggard frame, hovering wearily with both his arms dangling gracelessly down his side from slumped shoulders. He descended slowly upon the damp grass, finally letting his exhausted feet shuffle him from the clearing towards the sanctuary of his home. His normally cheery and jovial features had been completely drowned out by dejection and tiredness. His very countenance that had been unyielding to adversity and strife during his entire existence was ebbed away, pillaged completely of its verve and had slowly petered away into withered remnants of a hero. 

Nobody had bothered to question when Piccolo had joined them at the home, since Gohan was attracting too much of their attention. Piccolo had just found his way back, and had deliberately not crossed paths with the returning Gohan. Piccolo had sensed the doleful vibes coming from Gohan's _ki_ in mid-flight, and decided it wouldn't be too prudent to confront him at this particular moment. Gohan would have to work it out on his own, if he was to ever get that girl back.

"Gohan?! Honey, what happened? What's wrong?" Immediately the frantic mother smothered the teen with numerous hugs and ushered him inside the cozy living room, firmly shutting the door behind her. The chilly wind whipped about noisily outside, causing the windows to tremble ever so slightly and the door to emit an occasional 'tock'. The weather had intensified for the worse, as tiny rivulets of water started streaming down the dull panes of the living room windows. Gohan was still in a state of melancholy despair as his mother quickly sat him down in front of the fireplace and hurried to get him something warm to drink. He wasn't at all concerned with his own well being at the time however; he wasn't concerned with anything at all to be precise. All he did was glance intermittently at the other two warriors, his former mentor and his father's archrival, casting a somber plea of help that neither could oblige. 

"There's been a slaying." The laconic Namek-jin's disposition didn't waver in the slightest when all eyes were suddenly turned towards him.

"Wha…? Who?" Bulma managed to stutter, mentally bracing herself for the worst. 

"Korin and Yajirobe. Their place underneath the Lookout inexplicably exploded. Both were dead when I got there." As the others, sans Vegeta, reeled back in shock Piccolo continued to mask his features in apathy. Not even the slightest trace of vacillation could have been detected in his gruff voice as he reported the killings. 

"Seventeen?" Vegeta growled, unusually affronted by the murders.

"Who else? But for what it's worth, no one saw the culprit."

"But why them? What did they ever do to him?" Gohan's hoarse voice queried, mirroring the stunned look Bulma had etched on her elfin features.

"Think brat," Vegeta spat out with disgust, "What else but the advantage? The Senzu is no use to him, but it is to us."

"No…"

"Where does that leave us?" Piccolo pressed on, temporarily disregarding the shock that impaired both Gohan and Bulma at the moment. It may have been regarded as callous, but what was done could not be undone, and Piccolo had no wish to dwell on remorse right now.

Vegeta was inclined to agree with Piccolo's callous-but-efficacious rationale, "Pretty f—ed up. My recon mission achieved mediocre results. The obvious being that the girl is kept in a top secret HQ of the Syndicate. Before I could extort the whereabouts of the headquarters, they killed him off."

"My mission wasn't much fruitful either. I obtained relatively useless information, only some names. Seems like the Big Five of this group, excluding Seventeen, would be the leaders of the previously different gangs. Don Salvatore, Misamo Yamakazi, Igor Ivanov, Carlos Ortega and The Perronas are all mutually aligned with each other."

"Shit. There's no breakthrough."

"Of course. He's got us pegged. He's always ahead." Gohan's sullen voice inputted, earning him irritated stares from both fighters. 

"Boy, stop sulking around like a pathetic human. You are a warrior. If you don't want to act like one for your father's sake, at least, then, act like one for your woman's sake." Gohan's head jolted upwards from its downcast position, his now fiery eyes flittering dangerously between obsidian and blue-green. Vegeta stared straight back at him with genuinely sincere eyes, as he watched Gohan's clenched fist quiver with restrained vehemence. "You are the only one she has left to count on."

As quick as his anger had bubbled up to the surface, it subsided in a flush of realization and remorse. Discarding the haunting images of Videl's torture, or even death, that seemed to be clouding his mind he jumped unexpectedly to his feet and strode towards the door. The wind seemed to object furiously to such a move, as the door rocked loudly on its hinges from a particularly strong gust. Before Gohan had made it halfway across the warm and comfy living room, his mother's shrill voice stopped him in mid-stride. 

"Gohan! Where do you think you're going in this weather?" Chi-Chi had returned from her brief detour to the kitchen.

Gohan whipped around furiously to face his mother, an act so surprising that Chi-Chi almost let go of the steaming mug of liquid resting between her palms. "What?! Videl's out there, all alone, having God-knows-what being done to her, and all you can think about is the f—ing weather??!"

"Go…han?"

"I…" His demeanor faltered, and in that moment of weakness the entire potency of his desperate anger lapsed into wanton anguish. "I love her, mom. I…need her. I need to get her back."

***********************************

"Geez, you'd think a guy that has pretty much nothing to do would tidy up once in a while." Krillen was referring to the carelessly discarded clothes and various other objects that littered Seventeen's cabin in the woodlands. Everything from clothes, books, empty bowls, rotting morsels of meat, several sheets of loose paper, and even urine stains marred the serenity of a log cabin out in the wilderness. Krillen was about to query the reason for the bowls, and the food (He also had doubts about the urine), for an Android living alone in an isolated area. He had only begun to open his mouth when in a flurry of activity, something sleek and furry growled dangerously and sprung onto him before he could raise his defenses. Feral growls and frantic yelps filled the clammy air of the desolate cabin, as Krillen tried helplessly to fend off his four-footed assailant. 

"Stop playing around Krillen," his wife chided lazily, grabbing the wolf by the gruff of his collar and restraining him. 

"Playing around? That thing nearly bit my nose off!" Krillen exclaimed animatedly, dusting off his flowery yellow Bermuda shirt in mock agitation.

"What nose?"

"Eighteen!" The former monk glared at his wife, who returned a small smirk, as per usual. "You said it was 'cute' just two nights ago!"

"I was merely practicing appeasement."

"Oh, so you wanted to get down and dirty faster, didn't you? I can understand," Krillen immediately had an infuriating self-satisfied grin plastered on his face. His wife grew slightly redder, if that was possible for a cyborg, as she glowered at her spouse. 

"You flatter yourself too much, _honey_." 

"And you do too. Especially when you're in one of your thong moods." He finished off the seemingly innocuous remark with a sleazy wink, loving every minute of his wife's growing discomfort.

"Krillen!"

"The truth can hurt, babe."

"So can this," and she unceremoniously smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" Krillen tried to muster up the oh-so-famous Son pout, but his comical hair and rotund face couldn't emulate the sheer persuasiveness of a moping Son. It ended up in a rather amusing cross between a disgruntled midget and a dejected orphan look. 

"Come on, Krillen. Stop fooling around, this is important. We need to find my brother." Eighteen effectively put a stop to Krillen's usual penchant for comic relief, as she surveyed the cluttered room with calculating scrutiny. No sign of her brother, and they didn't even have the added luxury of sensing his _ki_ to pinpoint his exact location. 

"Well, obviously he's not here. Perhaps he's spending the night elsewhere," he winked at her again, and she sighed in frustration at her husband. 

"I know he couldn't do those things, even if Gohan was sure of himself. We've outgrown that stage now!" 

"Maybe that's what you want to think, Eighteen. Maybe you want him to find the closure you found. Maybe you're hoping for too much too soon."

She turned her pained eyes to her husband's, whose calm orbs returned her a sincere look of understanding. 

Her voice cracked, "He…I admit, he has had problems with this new lifestyle. But…murder? No, no, no. He's not a reckless murderer anymore Krillen! No, not anymore! Not after…not after all we've been through, not after Marron."

Krillen moved closer to her and let her embrace him tightly. Despite the awkward hug due to their height discrepancy, the impact of his consolation remained intact. He gently rubbed her back and soothed out her blonde hair, letting her sniffle lightly on his shoulder. Even she, deep down, was still human. Still prone to human emotion and human despair. 

"Shh…It's okay. We don't even know what has happened. It's too quick to jump to conclusions, honey. Maybe things were just a big misunderstanding, and we'll all go back to normal and pretend this never happened."

"Easy for you to say," came her muffled response.

"No. That's where you're wrong. It isn't at all easy for me. It isn't easy for me to see you in so much pain, to watch you suffer in anguish because you don't know what's going on. I never knew what I really wanted when I first met you. But, I know, it was never _this_." He hugged her tighter and smiled morosely when he felt her hold tightening too. 

"Look, let's not be discouraged so easily, hmm?" Krillen gently pulled her back and gazed at her glossy eyes, kissing her softly on the lips and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. She nodded mutely, "Let's just search for anything helpful, and go back, okay?" Again, she nodded, but this time giving him a small smile to assure him that she was fine.

"Right. I'll go check around outside, see if I can find anything of interest. Why don't you look through some stuff in here and we'll go from there." 

"Yeah, that seems logical."

"Of course! After all, who's calling the shots here?" He inquired with a sly smile, "Moi." He jerked two thumbs in his general direction as Eighteen grinned fondly at him. 

"You're such a goof."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Krillen winked at her again and strolled outside into the fresh air, squinting slightly to make his way past the porch and onto the grassy yard. The scarce illumination made Krillen's scouting mission a little bit more irksome, but he ambled along the dirt and grass whistling a catchy tune as he inspected the perimeter of the cabin. He had inspected his way towards the back of the cabin, until he felt a soft zephyr tickle his nose milliseconds before something solid impacted it. His relatively small frame hurtled at breakneck speeds towards the forest area, before he collided headlong against a giant oak, snapping the hulking tree right where his skull smashed into it. 

Not expecting any late night sparring sessions, Krillen's level of awareness was set only to casual and he hadn't even the barest of opportunities to spike his _ki_ and defend himself. Ignoring the piercing pain coming from his nose, cheekbones, and skull, Krillen sprang up and tried in vain to set his guard before his mystery assailant could attack again. He noticed a little too late that a bright _ki_ blast was careening towards his face very quickly. With a burst of extra _ki_, he attempted to maneuver himself out of the fatal trajectory of the blast but fell slightly short. The supercharged projectile seared entirely through his left leg, probably cauterizing the exposed flesh jutting out from the gaping wound. With an aggrieved howl Krillen's physique impacted the Earth, blood flowing out despite the burnt edges of the wound. 

His blurry vision registered a dark figure, shrouded completely by an obscuring cloak, stand over his downed body. The apparition looked oddly like the Grim Reaper, an unsettling image to say the least. He swore that he could literally feel his veiled face smirk derisively as he stared down at him. Krillen whimpered slightly in pain as the mysterious form extended a palm in his direction, snorting in contempt while he floated ten feet in the air. "For all your efforts. You are still merely negligible amongst the masses. Shame it had to end this way. Farewell, _brother_." The outstretched palm emitted a brilliant yellow beam, aimed straight at the ex-monk's heaving chest. As soon as he fired the blazing _ki_ blast, another one collided with his hand changing its trajectory barely enough so that the brunt of the enormous blast impacted the cold hard Earth beside the fallen Krillen. The explosion was intense, the shockwaves easily tossing Krillen's torn physique aside like a rag doll caught in a tornado. 

"Krillen!!!" Eighteen screamed in horror as she caught a glimpse of her husband's body being flung nearly fifty feet by the explosion. Ignoring the shrapnel that was whizzing past her at astounding speeds, she literally broke the sound barrier by propelling herself towards her husband's body at full throttle. She landed quickly beside his broken and bleeding form, tears stinging her pale eyes and clouding her vision. 

"Krillen. Oh shit. Oh f—king shit!. Krill…please," she choked out, cradling the head of her love in her lap as she tried to revive him. "Speak to me. Speak to me dammit!"

Tiny droplets of tears splashed on to Krillen's bruised and bleeding face, and his features stirred ever so slightly as his one good eye slit open barely to acknowledge her. 

"H…hi," he attempted to smile, but his cheekbones and jaw were smashed completely by the combined effects of the first punch he took and the giant blast he endured at nearly point-blank range. 

"Oh Krillen. You're bleeding too much. I have to get you out of here." She frantically soothed out his hair and kissed him on his forehead, gently gathering his battered body into her arms and lifting off. "Hold on. Just hold on." She flew as fast as her husband could take in his current condition, heading directly towards Satan City.

********************************

_Damn, she we forgot about. Can't detect her, can we? No matter, we can detect the strongest of them, and that's all we need. That bald midget cannot survive that blast we gave him could he? He has to go, only way to phase her out of the picture for a while. We'll have to monitor them too. Hmmm…_

_ Gohan? Interesting. Why is he heading towards Satan City? He had just come back half an hour ago, hadn't he? Did he figure something out?_

**_Could be that he has deciphered some things we wish to keep hidden. The boy has remarkable perception skills, I need not remind you. _**

****

_Of course. The blitzkrieg will have started now, no doubt. Maybe he's heard of it?_

**_Unlikely. If it were so, then assuredly the rest of them would have been on their way also. Why Vegeta and Piccolo still remain at the mountain area, and why Son Gohan is making his way back to Satan City is what we must calculate._**

****

****_Based on that blubbering fool's lingering ki, Eighteen is taking him to Satan City as well._

Son Gohan is nearly there. It'll most probably take her not more than ten minutes to arrive there. Maybe she'll rendezvous with him?

****

_Highly improbable. She has been at our place with her husband the entire time, remember? There's no way she knows where he is. She hasn't met him since those three fools went out to look for **her **and she and that husband of hers came out to look for us._

**_Commendable observation. Then, we'll tag along?_**

****

Affirmative. The Satan City blitz must be supervised as well. It gives us good opportunity to keep an eye on him and those two as well. 

**It'll also give us a second opportunity to finish what we started here.**

Yes. The midget must go.

***********************************

(A/N—I know, there's no use in explaining. So, well, if there isn't any use, then why try? Next chapter is going to be the 'climactic', errr, well, climax. Heh, that was a misnomer if there ever was one. Not much to say, not much to do, so I'm going to go straight into listing some good stories. Oh yeah, much hyped 'props' go to both ShaggyDiz and Psycho Ann, who've pre-read this chapter and well, made fun of it. 

Angst and Cliffhangers (Sage and Psycho Ann respectively)—'Parable of the Eagle'. Well, both have ongoing projects, both have an immense following, so what is there left to do? Why, pair up of course. Truly an Unholy Fusion of two very talented authors (Or as they like to dub themselves, 'authoresses'. Bah, the women's movement.) This bears all the marks of something truly great, and Sage's riveting characterization and emotional elucidation coupled with Ann's intuitive and often off-the-wall Alternate Universe ideas and you have something that can't go wrong. It's in its initial phase of development (One chapter out so far), but I've read the rough copy script of what seems to be several chapters and it is one amazing, bumpy, not to mention creative, and thoroughly well-written story. You don't need to be a fan of their work, or the genre, or even the frigging pairing of Gh/Vi to be convinced to read this. Too good. 

Perrin—This dude had one of the most interesting story starts I've ever come across. Not only did his story 'Dreams' immerse me right off the bat, geez, it never let up. Truly a bummer that he has probably abandoned it after three chapters, albeit three very long chapters. I wouldn't have mentioned him if those three chapters weren't worth as much, and sometimes more, than completed stories on this site. Check it out.

Now, two recommendations by two brilliant authors of whom they feel are aspiring writers on this site (I put my Ode to the Youth back a couple of chapters, and now it's their turn).

Animefan2017 (Recommended by ShaggyDiz)—Fred (ShaggyDiz) thinks that this author has got what it takes to formulate a compelling story, given the right amount of constructive feedback and her will to learn. Keep an eye on her, and her story 'The Wretched Life of our Hero'. 

The Wraith (Recommended by Psycho Ann)—Ann has nothing but praise for this dude, who's actually her beta reader/ creative consultant. He pre-reads, and he helps get her out of tight corners she may have stuffed herself into. He has tentatively started a story, or more of a prequel/preview to Ann's much touted 'Predator and Prey', and it seems to be very interesting. Check out 'The Lies we Know', pretty cool stuff.

Now, to leave you with some one-liners. This time though, you'll get a rare treat into the inner working of Fred's (ShaggyDiz) and Ann's (Psycho Ann) minds. Yup, I've deliberately pulled these lines out of context to distort its meaning. It's the 'Canadian' way. ;x

"I smoke fish. And turkey. Smoked trout is just yummy."

**-Psycho Ann**

"All right…So I'm a nice guy and a heartless bastard. How's that?"

**-ShaggyDiz**

"No, don't run away, come here. I'm not going to hurt you—that badly. Come here…"****

**-Psycho Ann**

"Trading tips on how to write sex scenes??"

**-ShaggyDiz**


End file.
